Unforgiveable Crime
by allyg1990
Summary: In Rogue’s lifetime, many crimes had been committed against her. They had something in common with the main feature of her daily life: they all lacked the element of touch. Until now. Starts after Mindbender. ROMY. COMPLETE!
1. An Unforgiveable Crime

In Rogue's lifetime, many crimes had been committed against her. They had something in common with the main feature of her daily life: they all lacked the element of touch.

Until now.

She didn't know quite how it started- a bottle of cooking wine, stolen to drown her sorrows- the pain of betrayal and the constant torment of her mutation. A few mouthfuls later, a warm and fuzzy feeling rushed in to replace the agony.

And then there was a familiarly southern voice, sitting down beside her, asking if she was okay, alone on this park bench. She should have seen the danger, but with her powers, what could happen?

But it did happen- his bare hand touched her bare shoulder. But somehow, there was no pull.

She had looked up at his oddly colored eyes, in too much of a stupor to decipher the meaning behind the coloration.

"Ah can touch you." She had slurred, her voice filled with wonder. His deep baritone chuckle had sent shivers down her spine.

"Now, why wouldn't y' be able t' touch _moi_?" He had drawled. And just as suddenly as the touch, his lips crushed hers, melting away her defenses and silencing her, as he pushed her down onto the wood of the bench. Abruptly his lips were replaced with a hand, the other fingering the buttons of her jeans.

"No…" her suddenly sober voice was muffled, and one glance from those eyes cast a hypnotic mist over her, somehow making her surrender to his will.

Skilled fingers slipped under her waistband, easily pulling the denim down to reveal pale ivory skin, untouched and flawless.

He paused, starting to pull away, but an invisible power forced him to comply with its wishes. There was his skin on hers, rough in comparison.

Fear.

Pain.

And then nothing. Nothing but his red on black eyes, glowing in the darkness, any ideas of an apology he could have had wiped from his mind instantly.

She was left there, alone and defenseless, broken and corrupted, the little clothing she still wore revealing far more poisonous skin than it hid.

He turned a corner, stiffening as a man came into view, cloaked in darkness.

"It is done." The markings on the man's face shimmered as a blue skinned woman emerged from the shadows, throwing herself at the man's feet and tugging at his robes.

"Why did it have to be this way? Make her forget!"

_Why? Why? Why? _The mother's voice reverberated around the alleyway, burning guilty holes in the thief's conscience.

_Why did it have to be this way?_

Remy LeBeau woke in a cold sweat, the haunting voice still repeating its lament in his waking mind. He sat up, cradling his face in his hands, trying to erase the memory of the dream. After a few moments the nightmare faded, and all he could remember was a pair of green eyes belonging to a strangely beautiful woman, filled with pain and hurt, glinting in the dull moonlight. And he knew that whatever the crime that had been committed against her, it had been unforgivable.

_How's that for a touch of drama? Reviews continuation, no reviews means it's on hiatus permanently. Feedback (constructive please, flames are dismissed) is really appreciated._

_Allyg1990_


	2. A Trip down Memory Lane

"Rogue! Come on, Magneto's not going to wait for us to turn up before he starts like, totally destroying stuff!"

Two months. Four days. Twelve hours. Forty seven minutes.

"Rogue! I'm gonna totally phase through and pull you out in a minute!"

Forty eight minutes. Rogue lifted her head up out of her hands, standing up from her perch on the edge of the bathtub.

"Ah'm comin'! Geeze, did ya want meh to go on a mission when ah was bustin' to pee?"

Two months, four days, twelve hours and forty nine minutes later, the pain was still there.

A quick towel was pressed to her eyes and then the door was unlocked.

"Miss meh?" Rogue asked dryly from the doorway, arms akimbo. Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Come on, the others are waiting!" Rogue snorted.

"The brotherhood? They're probably still raidin' the kitchen." But the phaser was already bounding ahead, and with a sigh, Rogue sprinted after her. _Who knows? Maybe this mission can take mah mind off it._

_Y' know dat ain't true._ His voice mocked her and she clamped her hands over her ears, trying to shut it out.

She was vaguely aware of Kitty pausing to look back at her.

"Rogue? Are you ok?" She asked, her voice concerned. Rogue straightened, plastering a smile over her face.

"Just a psyche. Nothin' ah can't handle." But the voice wasn't a psyche, and she couldn't push it to the back of her mind. It was always there, lurking in the shadows, ready to dredge up memories of that day.

_Maybe it's time to tell somebody._ A whisper floated to the surface of her mind. She shook off. _Who's gonna believe meh? Who'd believe that Rogue, the untouchable, had been touched in the cruelest way possible?_ To them it would be unthinkable; so again she delayed it one more day, as she had for so long.

* * *

"Too-slow! Can't-catch-me!"

"Pietro, please sit down and buckle your seatbelt." Storm fought to keep her voice civil.

"Aw, that's no fun!" Rogue felt the speedster zoom up behind her and bring his face close to her ear, shuddering as his breath touched her bare skin. "Why so glum, Rogue?" he asked, poking her a few times for good measure. Before he could react, the offending finger was bent backwards, causing Pietro to yelp in pain.

"You touch me again, you die." Rogue's voice was dangerous as she released his finger. He dashed back to his seat, muttering, "What's up with _her_?" in a very loud stage whisper to Blob, who shrugged.

"She was never this touchy when she lived with us." He replied, his droning voice equally loud. Rogue turned to look out of the window.

_A lot's happened since then._ She thought, wincing at the bumps as they landed.

"All out." They obeyed, branching out to look for Wolverine.

After a few minutes, it was clear that the kidnapped mutant was no-where in sight.

"He ain't here." Rogue commented after they'd searched the warehouses.

"We got that much." Kitty replied, phasing out of a storage crate. "Hey, what's that?" She bent down over what seemed to be a playing card, glowing with some sort of aura.

"Ah'd back off, Kitty." Rogue said nervously. Kitty didn't take notice, barely managing to phase as the card suddenly exploded, throwing the team off balance. Magneto had attacked.

The next few minutes were chaos, as Magneto himself appeared, finally revealing his new team. Rogue took a few moments to memorize their faces: there was Sabretooth, some redhead who could control fire but was helpless without his flamethrowers; a stocky metal-covered man, and the guy throwing exploding playing cards around was-

She paled, unconsciously stepping back a few steps. It was _him_.

Instinctively she turned and ran, edging around a warehouse and taking off a glove, even though against _him_, her poisonous skin would be useless. She wasn't aware of her heart racing, of the fact that she was trembling uncontrollably. All she wanted to do was escape him. She wouldn't let it happen. Not again.

Then she turned a corner, freezing as she looked up to see his face, smirking down at her. She was paralyzed by fear, rooted to the spot, unsure of whether to run and hide or try to attack him. His brow furrowed and he cocked his head, as if trying to put a finger on where he'd seen her before. Those distinctive white bangs, made up face, and emerald green eyes-

"Y' de girl from m' dreams." He said at last, not spitefully, just curiously. Her mouth went bone dry, and she started shaking harder.

"You're the man from my nightmares." She whispered, almost inaudibly. His eyes had hypnotized her once more, and she couldn't move if she wanted to. A grin spread across his face, and he stuck a card into her half open hand.

"De name's Remy. Have we met?" His voice was almost pleasant, which made the sick feeling in her stomach even worse. He didn't remember her- how many girls had he treated like he had treated her, that he couldn't remember her from only two months ago?

That hypnotic charm made her reply, and she gave a tiny nod, resisting to the pull as much as she could. His grin widened, and the card that barely separated their fingers began to glow.

"Well, Remy be seeing y' den." He said casually, backing off with a salute, and then sprinting away. Her head dropped to look at the card, the shakes subsiding. He didn't remember her. Maybe he wasn't dangerous.

Suddenly she realized that she was holding a time bomb in her hands, hastily flinging the card away as it exploded, catapulting her back a few feet. She slowly stood up, dusting herself off and shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. Then a sticky green mass hit her, and she was paralyzed.

_So there's Day of Reckoning. If you haven't guessed, this is AU. :) And yes, to clear things up, Remy WAS under Mesmero's control, and he doesn't remember anything except through his dreams. The grand master plan of WHY will be revealed eventually. Reviews would be great, I thrive on reviews, and I won't update unless I get enough. Or at least, not for ages. So please review! I'd like to know if you think I should just skip past the whole recovery/stuff of heroes stuff or not, too._

_Allyg1990_


	3. Escape from Area 51

_(Be warned, some details have been changed!)_

When she finally regained consciousness, freed from her solid prison, she found that she was still trapped, in a block of cells that also contained Beast and Spyke. She pressed her face towards the glass, peering through large circular breathing holes to see Wolverine, chained to a metal table that bore a chilling resemblance to the kind of operating table that lurked in a surgery room. Though she was fairly sure any procedure the men in white coats that crowded around the room would perform on their captives would not be of the life-saving variety.

She slumped against a wall, slowly sliding to the floor. Long hours of imprisonment would weaken her mental control, let his voice seep through-

'_M already here._ She shivered, remembering their encounter only a few minutes before. Could it be that she'd mistaken the acolyte for _him_? The man she'd met had seemed so…friendly. The word harmless had first sprung to mind, but that he wasn't, not with the exploding playing card that had nearly ripped her arm off.

Beast's low voice filtered through the wall between their cells, interrupting her musings.

"Stay calm. Do not use your powers. Fight them only if they try to-"

"If they touch meh, ah'm knocking them out." She interrupted, hugging herself and rubbing her thumbs soothingly against her covered skin. No one would ever touch her against her will again. No one.

She heard the instructor's sigh.

"Very well. But try not to be too violent. Wolverine has a plan, I'm sure, and the X-Men will be here in no time." Rogue snorted.

"Fat chance of that. They don't even know where we are." She said bitterly. Beast didn't try to counter that; no amount of optimism could change the fact that they were stuck in some sort of scientific facility with people who wanted to experiment on them, and the only people who could save them had no clue how to find them.

Rogue fell back into the train of thought that she'd been lured out of by Beast's interruption.

Was she sure it was him? _He didn't remember meh._ She reminded herself. But there were those eyes, and the hypnotic effect they had on her. Red on black wasn't a very common color. **(A/N: Yes, in this version Remy had properly colored eyes in day of reckoning.)**

And he was a mutant. Was that why he could…touch her?

For someone who had longed for touch every since her mutation manifested, Rogue was pretty sure that now she wanted no part of it. If she kept her powers uncontrolled, no-one could touch her, and if no-one could touch her, no-one could hurt her.

Except him.

In the endless hours of waiting, her mind started to wander, drifting back to that day, replaying its events in her mind, like a video clip on a loop, over and over again.

"_Y' okay?"_

_A nod, swaying slightly from the alcohol coursing through her veins. A touch on her bare shoulder; for once no deadly pull. His lips hungrily pressing on hers, and the scent of tobacco and spices filling her nose. Then pleasure replaced with pain, as he-_

A tear rolled down her cheek, invisible to everyone else as it smudged her makeup, leaving a salty track. Why her? Why her, of all the people in the world? What were the chances that on the very day she decided to act the idiot and get drunk, the one person who could touch her should come along, just happening to be the sort of person to take advantage of her situation?

She drew her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her body. Life was hard, they said. But life had been harder on her than most.

Then suddenly, alarm bells started ringing and there was a familiar noise as Spyke shot one of his spikes towards the operating table, shattering a restraint and freeing one of Logan's arms. The Canadian popped his claws, making quick work of his bonds and freeing Evan with a few cuts of his adamantium claws.

"Free the others. I'll take care of the army."

With a flurry of spikes and a well-aimed hit from Beast, the front wall of her cell shattered, and she gingerly stepped out, running towards Logan as Blob broke free of the green substance he was still half-trapped in. Suddenly there was a puff of blue smoke, and she grinned. Help was on its way.

She was much less happy about the woman coming with Kurt.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Wolverine growled.

"He'll send you a memo!" Mystique interrupted, turning and running off, with all four former captives and her son in tow. They wove through the corridors, undetected for the moment, finally meeting up with the others. Between the sounds of powers being used, the shouts of X-Men and soldiers alike, and the occasional gunshot, the noise was deafening and before she knew it Rogue was thrown off balance by the floor beginning to shake, slamming into a hard metal wall and dropping to the ground. A burst of pain shot through her skull, but she was quickly yanked up by Kitty and the pair kept on running from the now fallen soldiers.

Suddenly doors started slamming shut, closing them in. Alarm bells went off; they were trapped.

"Hey! I found a way out!" Bobby announced, pointing to an escape hatch with a ladder and scampering up it like the secretly terrified kid that he was. Rogue followed him immediately after- she wasn't sure how long she could stay conscious.

Finally she made it to the rooftop, gratefully inhaling a breath of fresh air and feeling her headache dissipate slightly in the cold night air. She was vaguely aware of Mystique screaming, but slowly sunk into half-consciousness, her vision becoming fuzzy. Then there was the sensation of telekinetic energy lifting her into the Velocity, and the whir of propellers as they took to the air.

* * *

A few hours later, her eyes flickered open as she regained consciousness. The pain in her head had faded to a dull throb, and as her vision cleared the first thing she saw was the concerned furry blue face of Hank McCoy peering at her.

Abruptly she sat up, groaning as her headache worsened, and he quickly backed a way a little bit. They seemed to be in some sort of dark, cold and damp cave, and she was thankful for the trench coat someone had bundled her in.

"Where are we?" She asked finally, her voice croaky. Beast handed her an open bottle of water in a business-like manner, smiling faintly.

"Well, as you can see, we're in a cave. I'm not sure of the precise co-ordinates, but it's a fairly rural area and hopefully we won't be tracked down until we've managed to secure our safety." She lifted a hand to her head, feeling a gauze bandage as she tucked her white bangs behind her ears.

"Any chance of some aspirin?" He shook his head.

"We're clean out. You woke up for a few minutes an hour ago and I was able to give you some liquid paracetamol, but with everyone else's injuries I'm afraid there's none left. I'm sorry." She shook her head, her hand unconsciously waving away the sympathy.

"Ah'm fine for now. What's the plan of action?" Beast coughed, accepting the bottle of water and screwing on the cap.

"There are hearings going on at the moment- Jean's been listening to the news on the Velocity's radio. Ororo and I were planning on attending, but if you are in need of medical support-" She frowned.

"Ah'm fine." She insisted. He frowned.

"Rogue, you slept very fitfully, and I couldn't help but overhear your sleep talking. Is there anything you would like to talk about?" She froze; he couldn't know. _No-one_ could know. Who would believe her? She plastered a smile on her face.

"Prob'ly just some psyches actin' up. Nothin' ah can't handle." She said as a means of explanation. He raised an eyebrow, and she knew that he wasn't convinced.

"Whatever you say. In any case, I suggest that you have some sessions with the Professor-" He paused hesitantly. "When we find him, of course."

Rogue's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do ya mean, 'When we find him'? What happened to him?" Beast absently twiddled his thumbs, his worry for the older man evident in his expression.

"It seems that Mystique has been…impersonating Professor Xavier. However, Scott stopped her from escaping from Area 51, and now we have no clues as to where he is." Rogue was filled with a brief pang of worry for the Professor, but it quickly faded. Whatever Mystique had done with him, she'd want him alive, so he probably wasn't in danger.

Logan walked over to them, managing a gruff smile for the southern girl before turning to his fellow instructor.

"Hank, we need supplies. I'm takin' my bike-" Rogue perked up.

"Ah'm comin' with ya." She said firmly. Wolverine shook his head.

"It's too dangerous, Stripes, and you've just regained consciousness-" She shook her head.

"Ah'll be _fine_." She said again, gritting her teeth. "Besides, ah want some aspirin. Mah head is killin' meh." The Canadian growled, not seeing a way to get out of taking her.

"Fine. But if you faint on me-" She rolled her eyes.

"Ah know, ah'll get a month of danger room."

"You'll probably get a month of rebuilding duty first." Hank called from the other side of the cave. Rogue raised her eyebrow.

"Rebuildin'?" Wolverine sighed.

"It's a long story. Come on, kid, let's go."

_There's Day of Recovery and my own set up to Stuff of Heroes. Thanks so much to all who have reviewed so far! Constructive feedback is much appreciated. I apologize that my writing style in the second half of this chapter is probably a bit rushed and weak since I was half asleep and on a plane when I wrote it. I'm just trying to get the X-Men back on track so I can get onto Dark Horizons… hehe… :)_

_allyg1990_


	4. The Unstoppable Juggernaut

"…_for despite their fearsome powers, most mutants look like normal citizens…" _

"Normal? Look at meh, ah look fat!" Rogue moaned quietly, seeing last year's horrendous school photo broadcasted on live television in the small convenience store they had chosen to shop at. "Do ah look that fat to you?"

"Pipe down! We're trying to keep a low profile." Logan muttered, gritting his teeth and pulling down the brim of his Stetson. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Well, ah am _not_ buying these cupcakes." She murmured, replacing them on a shelf and reaching for a packet of aspirin.

Just then the doors swung open, revealing two camouflage-clad soldiers sporting some sort of weaponry. Rogue quickly turned away from them, but they had already noticed her two-toned hair.

"Hey you! Hold on!"

"Uh oh." With that she started running, Wolverine roughly pushing her to the floor to dodge the bullets flying towards her. Instinctively she shied away, taking refuge behind a shelf piled with toiletries as he leapt towards the soldiers, unsheathing his claws with a familiar _snickt_.

"Take 'em down!" Yelled one of the soldiers, Logan replying with a snarl. One soldier fired, but the man twisted through the air to land neatly behind the shelf opposite Rogue's, quickly slicing through a few cans of soda to release a spray of cold liquid that threw the soldiers' aim off, causing their next bullets to fire into the overhead lighting, bringing it down with a crash that knocked one soldier over. Logan then jumped towards the other man, knocking his gun out of his hands, slamming him first into a shelf and then throwing him straight out of the double doors of the store.

"Low profile, huh?" Rogue remarked sarcastically as more soldiers crept into the store, tossing a tube of toothpaste towards her companion. "Logan!" Within seconds, one soldier was blinded and thrown back onto the floor by the sticky white gel, others by scattered sheets of newspaper. Rogue took advantage of their occupation to sprint out of the store, starting up Wolverine's motorbike and driving it straight into the store, shattering the doors in the process. A few slashes of the thin wooden walls later, they had an exit, heading straight towards the cave.

Rogue cranked up the acceleration, speeding as fast as she could without losing control of the machine. The helicopters circling overhead contributed to her haste, not to mention the sick feeling lent by Logan clinging onto her waist for dear life. She shook her head, trying to clear the constant buzz of that day from her head as she focused on staying alive.

Suddenly they were heading straight for a low hanging tree limb.

"Duck!" She yelled.

"What?" A few seconds later Logan was thrown of the motorbike, forcing her to circle around back to him.

"Would you relax? Ah know how to ride." He snorted, dusting himself off.

"I'm takin' it from here." He soon ate his words, jumping back onto the bike as the helicopters caught up with them.

"Hang on! We're shifting into overdrive!" She yelled above the wind whipping at her cheeks.

Within a few minutes they arrived at the cave, Rogue grinding to a halt and throwing Logan into some sort of large block of ice.

"Ah told ya to hold on." She muttered, dismounting.

"What happened?" Jean's worried voice entered her range of hearing.

"Military choppers." He replied as Rogue pulled off her helmet, causing her hair to stick up in all directions.

"And it won't take 'em long to find us." She commented, smoothing it down again.

The roar of engines interrupted her.

"Correction: _Didn't_ take 'em long." The edges of Logan's mouth curled up in a satisfied smirk as he popped his claws.

"All right, we've got a fight on our hands!"

"No, we don't!" Scott spun around to counter the older man.

"What?"

"_Attention mutants: This will be your only warning. Surrender peacefully, or we will take action!" _Logan growled.

"Hear that? They're getting ready to attack!"

"They don't know what they're getting into." Scott retorted. "Iceman!" Bobby swiftly iced up, sealing the entrance to the cave as Scott and Wolverine bickered.

"Listen, _kid-"_

"No!" Scott brushed Logan's hand off his shoulder. "We're the X-Men, Wolverine! We're not kids anymore." Rogue grinned, looking back on previously absorbed information. _Sure he ain't. That's why he still wears Bugs Bunny underwear_. "You trained us. And you know something? We're good." He spun around to shoot down a few incoming missiles. "Very good."

"Let me get this straight." Logan walked in front of their fearless leader, claws still out. "You're defying me!"

"Any one of us could smack down those choppers, but we're supposed to be heroes, not thugs."

"Speak for yourself." Rogue heard Kitty mutter pessimistically. "Heroes don't give their fellow heroes a week of danger room for getting back home thirteen minutes late. More like overtrained kids."

"If they're after us, then _they're_ the enemy!"

"No! But they think _we _are! The last thing we need to do now is prove them right."

"Well, what else are you gonna do? Run?" Logan snarled.

"Yeah. If the Professor were here, that's what he'd have us do." Scott said confidently. The other students joined him in staring Logan down, Rogue not really caring either way.

"You wanna take charge, then you're on your own." With that Wolverine jumped onto his bike and drove out of the cave, dodging a missile here and there on the way. Rogue felt a pang of worry. _We're just kids. We can't manage without him_.

But Scott had other ideas, signaling for them to head out. Rogue rolled her eyes, following his orders. What other options did she have?

Spike got to work hitting missiles before they hit him, Jean telekinetically stopping bursts of gas the helicopters released. Meanwhile Bobby iced Scott over to the Velocity, while Kitty and Kurt ported around the helicopters, frazzling their weapons. Rogue huffed, running towards the Velocity herself, shortly joined by the rest of the team. They rose into the air, Jean taking care of the helicopters as they flew into the distance with Scott at the controls.

As they flew, Jean absently fiddled with the built-in TV, shortly exclaiming, "It's the Juggernaut!"

"And without the Professor-" Kitty put forward, pursing her lips with worry.

"There's no way to stop him." Kurt realized, eyes widening.

A woman's voice blared through the speakers. _"It seems that nothing short of a catastrophe will satisfy this mutant." _

"So?" Jean asked Scott. "Are we getting involved?" Scott sighed.

"It'll be the Sentinel disaster all over again, they'll find a way to blame us!"

"Scott," Jean reminded him softly, "What would the Professor have us do?" Scott swallowed, finally bringing them down to land on a rocky outcrop next to a dam that the Juggernaut was set on destroying.

"Mutant kids now?" the monster scoffed as they assembled not far from him. "Too bad you don't have your papa to help this time."

With that they jumped towards him, Kurt porting around to distract the giant man as Jean lifted him up into the air just before one large foot came down to crush Rogue. Scott blasted him onto an icy ramp that Bobby created, sending him hurtling off the cliff. Kurt took his distraction as an opportunity to 'port the various X-Men to different places around the dam.

As Juggernaut pulled himself back up onto the top of the dam, first Spyke revealed himself, goading him into jumping onto an unsteady fuel tank that with one well-aimed spike toppled over, sending their opponent crashing into a piece of concrete, Kitty deftly phasing him into it.

Kurt ported onto the colossal man, unbuckling a few of his helmet clips before he was thrown into the air, knocking Jean down as he flew into her. With a few well-aimed punches, the Juggernaut was free, jumping onto the platform where Rogue, Spyke and Bobby were waiting for him.

"What are you trying to do, _embarrass _me to death?" He mocked them, sending the three teenagers running to safer ground. "Come on, give me your best shot!"

Scott stepped forward. "You know, that's exactly what I had in mind." A red optic blast zoomed towards Juggernaut, sending his helmet flying. The next optic blast barely affected him as he lumbered towards Scott, large arms flailing in all directions.

"You think that fancy visor's gonna stop me?" He roared, coming closer. "Nothing stops me! I'm raw power!"

"You want it raw, tough guy? Then take it raw!" With that Scott pulled off his visor, blasting the Juggernaut with uncontained energy that hurled him to the floor.

But even the full force of Scott's optic blast barely harmed the giant, who slowly but surely moved towards the teenager, eventually getting close enough to clasp a large hand over his eyes to stop the energy as the X-Men looked on.

"You can't stop the unstoppable!" He bellowed, Kitty grabbing Rogue's hand and taking a big breath as she phased her friend right behind the enemy. Rogue removed a glove, jumping onto the monstrous man and suckering her hand to his face.

"Party's over, and lights _out!_" She held on tightly as memories hurled through her mind, his strength filling her until he eventually toppled over, tossing her onto the ground to lie in the dust, strained from the ordeal.

Soon he was up; but so was she, stopping one enormous fist with her smaller but stronger one. She grabbed him by his costume, feeling the strength flow through her as she effortlessly lifted the nine hundred pound man into the air, throwing him easily into the dam as Bobby encased him in a block of ice.

Helicopters swarmed onto the area, searchlights trying to pinpoint the Juggernaut's location.

"They can't find him!" Jean exclaimed.

"Should ve hunt him down?" Kurt asked Scott, who shook his head.

"No- my guess? He's long gone. We're done here." As he spoke, Rogue clutched her head, fighting to deal with traumatic memories as she collapsed onto the floor. Slowly Juggernaut's power left her, and once again she felt weak and helpless. If only she could have absorbed him the last time they fought and kept the power- maybe then she could have stopped _him_-

"Hey? Are you alright?" She nodded, her eyes closed.

"Ah'm okay. But ah got a big piece of his mind, an ah-" Her eyes shot open. "Ah know where the Professor is!"

Hundreds of miles away, they found him in the Juggernaut's containment unit, half-suspended in green paralysis fluid.

"Is he alright?" Jean asked with concern.

"Yes." Replied a guard. "He'll be fine. But I don't understand how anyone could get Juggernaut out, let alone get Professor Xavier in."

"That's Mystique." Rogue observed as things fell into place.

"We've learned never to underestimate _her_." Jean added wearily as the fluid drained out. Behind her, Logan snuck in to stand behind Scott.

"Good job." Scott acknowledged the praise with a nod, turning back to tend to his father figure.

"Easy, Professor. Everything is going to be okay."

_Okay, there's Stuff of Heroes. I'm sorry that this was such a re-hash of the real thing, please don't be put off by my lousy action scenes and keep reading! Again, thanks for all the amazing reviews!_

_Allyg1990_


	5. We Meet Again

**I'd just like to say a quick thank you to JackRenee, Nightcrawler92913, SkyRogue, Enchantedlight, christanmarie712, gambitfan85, crack4sure, Conquistador Imp, dramaqueen, pennylane87, greykupo, TheRealRogue, ****AngelblazeRobRae, mazdamiatta, Chica de los Ojos Café, open hearts catch dreams, FaFaFa, rogueplum, lovestoread, and Rose Gilmore for their reviews. You guys make my day!**

The next few weeks were hardly uneventful- between the slow and monotonous process of rebuilding the mansion and keeping mutant-haters at bay, Rogue barely had a spare minute to think, let alone dwell on the past. Most of the other students, especially Kitty and Jean, were worried sick over whether they'd blown their chances at ever fitting in at school again- or even if they'd be allowed back to school. Rogue didn't really mind that the other students knew about her mutancy- maybe now they'd leave her well alone, instead of constantly bugging her about her hair or the amount of skin her clothing showed. Besides, the few times that she did worry, it was a welcome reprieve from worrying about _him_.

Finally, they were let back into school- not without intervention, of course, from the Brotherhood and Principal Kelly. The teachers' attitudes ranged from pure hatred to intense fear. Rogue's math teacher, upon learning about her mutation, stayed at least six feet away from her at all times, much to her amusement. It made handing back assignments pretty hard.

Eventually they settled back in, but there were always little incidents, like the dumb jock that approached Kitty and her during their lunch break.

"Hey mutie, can you read my mind?" He asked, obviously thinking he was extremely clever.

"Like I could find it!" Rogue snapped, storming off and mentally counting to ten so that she could control the urge to slap him with a bare hand. He'd been the third person in the space of ten minutes to bother her, but at least he hadn't roughly grabbed her shoulder from behind like the last guy. She was pretty positive that his wrist was broken.

Finally she came to a stop under a large oak tree, leaning against its large trunk and closing her eyes, taking deep breaths to get her anger under control.

"Well, fancy seein' y' here." The familiar drawl made her muscles stiffen and her eyes snap open, darting nervously from side to side to pinpoint the source of the voice. "Don' be scared, _chere_, Remy ain't gonna hurt y'."

_You already did._ She thought silently, her fingers unconsciously curling into the palms of her hands as she got ready to attack him if need be. Her heart began to beat uncontrollably, and she started slowly and cautiously walking back towards the school, willing him to disappear, to leave her alone.

Then a hand rested on her covered shoulder, but she didn't react, instead freezing as its owner spun her around to face him.

"What's y' hurry?" Their gazes locked, his flirtatious, hers terrified.

_I'm trying to get out of here before you can hurt me again. _She thought silently, her mouth as parched at it had been back at the warehouses.

She took a step back, then two, trying to free herself of his hold, but he walked with her.

"Now _chere,_ don' walk away, Remy jus' wants t' talk to y'."

_But I don't want to talk to you. _There it was, that force bending her will to his, trying to make her speak. She tore her gaze away, and he pursed his lips, unhappy that she wasn't going to play by his rules. The trembles started again, only serving to confuse him as he lifted a gloved finger to her chin and brought her face upwards, though her eyes still remained downcast. His brow furrowed as his confusion deepened. Why was she so damned scared of him?

"Y' such a pretty girl." He murmured softly. "But Remy still doesn' know y' name."

"Hey! Get away from her!" Kitty's angry voice interrupted them and Rogue hastily pulled away, walking quickly backwards to put as much distance between herself and the acolyte as possible. Kitty's slim frame hurtled towards her. "Rogue! Are you like, okay?" She questioned her friend before glaring at Gambit, who couldn't help but grin at the force of the small girl's glower.

"Gambit was jus' passin' through, _p'tit_." He assured the valley girl, backing away with his hands in the air. "He didn' mean no harm." Kitty's glare became deadly.

"Get out of here now, or there'll be trouble." She hissed. Gambit just smirked, casually walking away, his trench coat flaring out around his feet. Kitty turned to Rogue.

"What was _that_?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Rogue shrugged, her heartbeat slowing down and the shakes disappearing altogether.

"Ah don't know." She replied casually. Kitty grinned.

"You were pretty close." She noted. Rogue looked down.

"Trust meh, it wasn't mah choice." She said quietly. Kitty frowned, about to say something, but the stutter of a badly maintained engine startled her.

"Hey, look! It's the brotherhood." She sighed. "And as usual, they're up to something. We'd better tell Scott." Rogue's head snapped up, and she saw a perfect means of getting as far away from _him_ as possible.

"No time for that." She said impulsively. "Let's follow them!" With that she grabbed Kitty's wrist, ignoring her cries of "But what about school?" So they embarked on their crazy chase, Rogue not caring about what trouble they'd get into. After all, if she got grounded, she'd have to stay in the institute. And that was the one place he couldn't come near her- wasn't it?

* * *

"Aww, Rogue, you never get out of the house, you totally have to come!"

Rogue slammed her locker door shut.

"Quit yappin', Kit. Ah ain't comin', and that's final." She snapped, pulling her backpack over her shoulder and turning away.

"Your loss." Kitty muttered, shutting her own locker and adjusting her backpack straps. Then she increased the pace of her walking to catch up with the older girl. "Wait up! I'm going shopping for something to wear to the concert this afternoon, do you want to come? I hear there's a great sale on at…"

Rogue never heard the rest of Kitty's sentence; she had long since learnt to tune out the younger girl when it came to shopping. They walked along, Rogue staring at the floor and paying no attention whatsoever to Kitty, who didn't seem to notice and kept on happily babbling.

_Long time no see_.

Rogue froze on the spot, nervously looking around for the source of the voice. It took Kitty a few paces worth of talking to realize that her friend had been left behind.

"Rogue? What's wrong?" Rogue shook her head, trying to shake his voice out of her mind.

"Nothin'. Ah'm fine." The words were to reassure herself much more than the other girl. She started walking again, and Kitty resumed her jabbering.

'_m watchin' y', Rogue. Always watchin'.

* * *

_

"We'll play next week, then?" Scott asked, walking out the door. Rogue nodded, offering a slight smile.

"Sure, next week." And then she was alone in the racquetball court, standing there with her legs shoulder width apart, absently twirling the racket between her fingers.

_Y' all alone now, Rogue. Y' got no-one t' protect y'._ The hairs on back of her neck prickled; the skin only _he_ could touch went icy, and she could almost feel him standing behind her. The racket stopped moving as her fingers tightened around it, her knuckles going white. She thought frantically of a way to escape, feeling a warm presence getting closer to her, a hand resting on her waist and inching its way down her thigh…

Suddenly a memory flashed through her head, of a blue-white flash and strength coursing through her, and she spun around, the racket flying towards where his head would be-

But there was no-one there.

She sank to her knees, clutching her skull.

"What's happenin' to meh?" She whispered as she pressed her head to her knees, not noticing the racket embedded deep into the wall. But she was alone, and there was no-one to ease the pain.

_Sorry for the long wait, complete skip of mainstream etc. and the short chapter, I was on holiday! Hope you like this, again, thanks for the reviews!_

_allyg1990_


	6. Breakdown

"Come on, Rogue, let's get a better view!" Risty yelled above the crowd. Rogue rolled her eyes, but let herself be pulled into the sea of people, carefully making sure that she was completely covered up. The temperature in the room soared with the combined body heat of a few hundred people occupying the small space, and the blaring noise that made the air vibrate did nothing for Rogue's throbbing headache. She stared longingly at the door, wishing she could just walk out, but Risty followed her gaze, somehow tracing it back to Scott.

"You still have a thing for him, don't you?" She asked softly. Rogue's head snapped towards her, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Scott?" She asked incredulously. "Of course not. Besides, he and Jean are practically a couple." She said truthfully. Risty gave her a disbelieving look, though there was nothing to disbelieve. Maybe Rogue had liked Scott once, but after…

"Well you, my girl, can do much better." Risty interrupted, roughly grabbing her arm and pulling her further towards the stage.

The air began to weigh down at her, the people pressing at her from all sides making her feel very uncomfortable.

"Risty, ah don't do well in crowds-" She started, a surge of pain cutting her off as once again memories flashed through her mind. Unnoticed by her friend, she clutched her head, trying to cut out the pain; but then there was a rip as her sleeve tore off, the green fabric slowly floating to the ground as she watched in horror, and time seemed to slow down as people bumped into her from all directions, first a girl, then a boy, bright lights flashing as they fell to the ground unconscious. Their memories swarmed into her head, and she spun around, her bare skin connecting with Risty's-

With a flash the memories starting pouring in, some that she had absorbed before.

A blue-furred baby falling into a river while his mother looked on in horror.

A little girl playing on a swing set, the two white stripes in her auburn hair catching on the wind as she soared through the air.

"_Why did it have to be this way? Make her forget!"_

Rogue's eyes snapped open as Risty's purple hair made the gradual change to red, and her skin turned blue again. She swayed, slowly staggering backwards, half strained by the absorption, half shocked by the betrayal. Mystique pushed herself up, stretching out a hand.

"No- Rogue!" But the girl was already gone, fleeing into the night with salty tears snaking their way down her painted cheeks. She ran, her appearance shifting time after time, but she didn't notice, blindly making her way down winding alleyways and streets she didn't recognize. Her feet pounded time and time again against the pavement, soon becoming bruised and sore, but she kept sprinting, arms flailing wildly as she collapsed against a hard wall. Her face was buried in her knees as she sorted through the memories, trying to tell if she had made a mistake, but the information was clear, its meaning blazing out to her brighter than any star in the dark sky.

Mystique was her mother, and she had let _it _happen.

Footsteps made her face jerk upwards, the rest of her body following as she saw who it was.

"I know I've hurt you." The blue-skinned woman murmured, ashamed. "But I only posed as your friend so I could be near you." Bile rose in Rogue's throat.

"You used meh!" She spat sourly. "Don't make excuses." Mystique's gaze shifted towards the ground, locking on the cobblestones.

"It's not as simple as that." She whispered, and then looked up, a glimmer of hope sparking in her eyes. "If you have my memories, you know what out relationship is. Admit the truth, Rogue. I adopted you when you were four. You are my daughter!" Rogue turned away to lean against the wall, one cheek pressing against the cold stone.

"What kind of a mother stands by and does nothin' while her daughter gets raped?" Rogue asked bitterly, acknowledging the truth out loud for the first time. Mystique was silent, but a burst of anger filled Rogue as the memories flashed through her mind. Suddenly there were two shape shifters circling each other in the alleyway.

"Don't do this Rogue!" One woman warned. "I am your mother!"

"You're no mother of mine!" Cried the other one, a blue-skinned fist lashing out but punching thin air. The real Mystique jumped into the air, landing lithely on an upturned wheelie bin and facing her daughter.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, the words shattering the tension pulsating through the air as Rogue shifted back into her pale skinned form, white stripes framing her red rimmed eyes.

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it." Rogue muttered, turning her back on Mystique. "You let it happen. How could you?" A hand came to rest on her covered arm, carefully steering clear of any skin.

"It was for your own good." Mystique sounded as if she didn't quite believe herself, and Rogue angrily batted her hand away, spinning back around to face the woman.

"For my own good?" She yelled, enraged. "Me bein' hurt was for mah own good? Tell me Mystique, what good is it, feelin' used, and helpless, and violated? And mah own mother didn't lift a finger to help meh! What am ah supposed to feel, _gratitude?_"

"No." Mystique whispered. "Forgiveness. It was for your sake." Rogue sunk to the ground, the concrete grazing her skin as another wave of pain shot through her skull, accompanied by memories.

"Get away from me!" Rogue yelled, her voice matching the depth of the Juggernaut's as one giant fist slammed into Mystique, flinging her to the other side of the alleyway where she collapsed against a fire escape, falling to the floor unconscious. Desperately grasping her head she ran out of the alley and onto the main road, wind whipping around her feet and upturning the parked cars, a bolt of lightning or two charring nearby trees. Branches, newspapers, any debris that had once been peacefully coating the sidewalks began to spin around her with the twanging noise that accompanied telekinesis, soon being picked up by her winds and whipping into the air in the form of a tornado, with her at the centre.

She was vaguely aware of people trying to talk to her, but the psyches swamped her, the memories rushing through her mind faster than she could identify them. Different powers surged out of control, and she fought to break through.

"Help…me…" she croaked before another psyche took over. Comforting voices surrounded her, doing nothing to appease the psyches controlling her body. Blasts of energy pushed them away as she mentally grasped for them, but they slipped away from her fingers, leaving her tormented once more. She flew into the air, thunder and lightning blazing around her as her eyes glowed red.

Then suddenly she dropped to the floor, feeling her ribs crack as another presence entered her mind, trying to be gentle, but the strength of the power hurt her all the same. She writhed on the floor, shape shifting rapidly as psyche after psyche disappeared from her mind. Just as suddenly, a wave of darkness swamped over her as she fell unconscious.

_Sorry for the slow update, I've been reading Twilight & Co… and for those of you who have read it, you probably understand why I haven't had much time to write! And if you haven't, I really recommend it. But onto the proper author's note: Thanks so much for all your reviews, it means a lot that what I write is appreciated. Until the next installment…_

_Allyg1990_


	7. Another Kiss

"Come on, Rogue, eat your vegetables." Kurt's voice was business-like as he held out a spoonful of food. Rogue snatched it angrily.

"Kurt, stop fussin' over meh! Ah can feed myself." She snapped, shoving the spoon into her mouth. The teleporter was undeterred, and grabbed it back to load it up again.

"You're_ mein_ _schwester_." He whined. "I'm supposed to fuss." She looked down, focusing on the white bed sheet curled between her fingers.

"We're not related." She said coldly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and it took all her strength not to flinch.

"She's our muzzer, Rogue." He said kindly. "We're family. Whatever happens, I'll be zhere for you." She closed her eyes, a salty tear threatening to spill out.

"Thanks, Kurt." She said effortlessly. "It means a lot." He leant back and smiled, satisfied that he'd squeezed some emotion out of the Goth. She almost smiled back; if only he knew that the tears really sprung from the betrayal.

She coughed, startling him out of his reverie of playing happy families. "You should go. Ah'll be fine." She added quickly, seizing the tray and settling it on her lap. She picked up a fork, stabbing a cube of meat and shoving it in her mouth. "Schee?" She mumbled through the mouthful, and then swallowed. "Ah'm a big girl now."

He sighed, dropping the spoon onto the tray and standing up, dejected.

"Whatever you say, Rogue." He said, slightly hurt that she didn't care for his attention. "Just call if you need anyzing." With that he 'ported away, leaving behind the familiar scent of sulfur and brimstone. Rogue hacked, trying to clear her lungs of the foul gas. Then she fidgeted in the bed, trying to get comfortable as she discarded the tray, plopping it down on her bedside table. She wasn't hungry.

_You're alone again, Rogue_. The chill crept up her bones, shrouding them in ice once more. She hugged herself, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"Leave…me…" She croaked, her voice dry and hoarse. But _his _voice carried on.

_No-one to save you_. There was a sharp scream, if only echoing around her mind, and the blackness overcame her once more.

She was standing in the middle of a plain, barren for once of the psyches that had once haunted her whenever she came to this place. A cold gust of wind wrapped around her, and she shivered.

_What's happening?_ She thought, her mental voice reverberating around invisible boundaries.

Then, before she could even twitch, metal bars sprung from the ground, forming a cage around her. She spun around, desperately looking for an escape route; there was no way out.

Once again, she was trapped. But this time, it was in her own mind. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Jean Grey woke up the next morning, feeling more drained than was usual. She groaned, the alarm boring into her skull not doing anything for her headache, and slapped the object. It was time to get to school.

A short while later she slipped out of Scott's car, happy for that the younger kids had gotten a ride with Logan. It was hard, being one of the oldest students, and the Professor had finally acknowledged that Scott and her might need a few minutes each day to just… get away from it all.

"Jean!" Her head snapped around; Kitty was running towards her, a big smile spread across her face. Rogue followed sullenly behind, staring at the ground as usual. Jean's features twisted in annoyance; why couldn't the younger girl be happy, just for once?

"So, are you like, ready for your calculus test today?" Kitty's voice broke through her thoughts and she smiled at the phaser.

"I just wish I didn't have to do it with a headache." She moaned, absently rubbing her temples. Kitty nodded enthusiastically.

"You had a bad night too? I just remember all these freaky dreams-" Her eyes flickered towards Rogue, for some odd reason. "-and I felt really tired this morning." Her petite nose wrinkled in confusion. "I was like, totally weirded out."

Rogue seemed to ignored them, leaning against a tree on the other side of the school property. If anyone had bothered to pay attention, they might have noticed that she had been acting strangely for the last few days. If they had been paying attention, they might have noticed the car pull up beside her, and they might have seen the door click open and Rogue slide in. But they didn't, and the car drove away.

Inside, Rogue rattled her bars, screaming to be let out. But on the outside she was silent; perfectly still, almost icy. She was trapped, and once again, her body was not under her control. There was a flash as the blue-skinned woman next to her lightly clasped her hand, and then pulled away, Mystique's psyche joining the others in her mind.

_Why did it have to be this way?_

Rogue screamed once more, clutching her skull as she fell to the bottom of the cage. Mystique's psyche might be out there, drifting around her prison, but the memories were still flickering through her consciousness, oblivious to Rogue's pleas as they played around the purple sky of the land Mesmero had created. Rogue felt Mystique's pain, her sorrow, her greed, envy, hatred, every murderous intention-

And then the flow of memories was exhausted, and she lay back against the mental bars, panting from the strain. A droplet of sweat that didn't really exist rolled down her forehead and a tear trailed after it, running down to soak into her parched lips. The salt in it stung the chapped skin and she licked it away, trying to ease that momentary stinging. She could almost hear Mesmero laughing gleefully as he tortured her, for in this mental state, there were no natural painkillers soaring through her bloodstream to ease the pain. It stayed with her, a constant niggling reminder of that fateful day, her lips just as red and swollen, but from being worried by her white teeth, not from the bruising of his kisses.

Another tear followed, and then another as she realized once more that she was helpless. Why hadn't the Professor realized that she was being controlled? She could still see out of her psychical eyes, see herself absorbing everyone in the institute and the brotherhood, and she knew in the back of her mind that now she would do the same for the Acolytes.

A wave of fear gripped her. She couldn't absorb _him_. What if he tried to do it again? Mesmero would surely let it happen and would probably temporarily release his hold on her, to increase her awareness a hundred fold.

She shivered, slowly easing herself up onto her feet and wrapping long fingers around the cold steely bars, gripping them as tight as she could. But it was pointless to even try; the walls of her mental prison were just as strong as adamantium, and not even Wolverine could have escaped.

She slumped to the floor, the tears now flowing freely as she heard the click of the car door opening, and saw herself stepping out. And then her body shifted, and she was trapped inside the mind of a raven, sliding through the bars on one open window. She felt herself take a human shape again, and then there were acolytes rushing at her, but she methodically pressed her hands to their faces, and each of them collapsed with a bright blue-white flash. Their psyches joined her on her mental plain, floating eerily around her cage as she writhed in pain on the cold stone floor, trying to deal with the agony of their memories.

She heard the sound of light clapping as _he _stepped out of the shadows.

"Bravo, _cherie_." He said, his voice as pleasant and smooth as ever as he stalked over to her, a collapsible staff expanding between his fists. "Seems t' Remy dat Rogue's up to no good." He smirked, tapping the staff against her shoulders. "But hey, I like dat in a girl." Inside, she shuddered, wishing she could back away, but she was forced to stand firm, metal armor fading with a steady clicking as she flicked the staff away. He stepped backwards, making sure to keep her hands away from him, as if he'd forgotten that he was the only person she could touch.

"Only t'ing is, y' not alone in dis." He remarked, his staff swatting at her fingers as she advanced on him. "Tell _moi_, who's behind it? Mystique?" She lunged, but he leapt deftly onto a large crate, out of her range. "Remy t'inks so. Question is…" he mused, jumping onto another one. "Why?"

There was a twang as Jean's psyche came to life, telekinetic energy lifting him up and hurling him into a wall. He slid to the metal floor, quickly lifting the staff up to separate them as she dove towards him. She cringed, wishing she could wipe the flirtatious look off her face.

"See if you can guess." She taunted, a hand reaching out for him, the armor clicking to life again. If only she could wrap her fingers around his neck, her job here could be over. But he lifted the staff higher into the air, dodging out of her reach.

"What's wrong wit' y', _chere_?" He thought aloud. "Someone must be controlling y'- normally y' never come within a hundred yards o' Remy." He grinned, white teeth flashing in the half-light. "Pity Remy doesn't know why."

She screamed, pushing against her barriers, until, with a flash, they disappeared.

"You _raped_ me." She hissed, her bare fingers angling further towards him. A look of shock and then confusion spread across his face, but the barriers had returned, and she could say no more as she clutched her head from the renewed pain of Mesmero gaining control of her mind. She swayed, desperately trying to keep control as she sank into a bottomless pit, clawing her fingers against the boundaries of her consciousness, fighting to push that mental hold away. Warm, carefully clothed arms steadied her, and her eyes snapped open to see his red on black orbs searching her emerald ones, trying to decipher the meaning behind her words.

"I did no such thing." He said quietly, and then hesitated. "I'd never do dat t' y'."

_Let's have some fun, shall we?_ Mesmero's musical voice shot through her mind. She shook, half from fear of what was coming next, half from fear of Gambit's words. He didn't know, he didn't know, he didn't know-

Carefully, cautiously, she straightened in his hold, and he flinched as one bare hand caressed his cheek. But there was no pull, and she drew his face towards hers, crushing her lips against his.

Her mind screamed for her to pull away, her skin paling further as Mesmero granted her awareness, but not control of her body. There it was; the deathly fear that accompanied his lips caressing hers, his hands wrapped around her waist. But some small, niggling corner of her mind couldn't help softening with the gentleness that accompanied this kiss, so unlike the way his lips had felt before. She stopped struggling against Mesmero's command, losing herself in the moment in a way she never could have a few minutes ago, and the sickening feeling that came from the fact that she was kissing _him_ and enjoying it was soon dispelled.

_This will not do._ Mesmero's mental voice was cold, and suddenly she found that her hands moved down, resting on either side of Remy's neck. He didn't notice, one hand moving to rest lightly on the small of her back and sending shivers down her spine. Her thumbs pressed down without her consent, pressing on the blood vessels beneath them, and within a few more short seconds, he broke away and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

_I think you've had your fun today._ Mesmero snapped, and the cage around her came back in full force, hurtling her to the back of her own mind. _I think you should probably take a little rest._ The walls closed in on her, and she screamed, before everything went completely black.

_Here's an updated version of this chapter with the typos I could find corrected. Thanks to Muria and Rose Gilmore for pointing some out!_

_There you go, finally, some Romy. I know it's unrealistic, and my knowledge of telepathy and mind control is virtually non-existent, but I hope you enjoyed the writing, at least!_

_In case didn't explain clearly enough the way in which Remy was knocked out- she can't absorb him, she stopped blood flow to his brain and asphyxiated him._

_Thank you SO much for all of you who have reviewed, please continue, because it makes my day!_

_Allyg1990_


	8. Release

For a long time, all Rogue saw were snippets of the outside world as she sat alone in her cell, the psyches floating around the surrounding mental plane only serving to torment her. The Professor, Logan, Beast, Jean, Scott, Kurt, Kitty, the Brotherhood and Acolytes, Magneto- almost all of the mutants she had ever known were there in her head, save for one.

_Him_.

And now that she had time to think about what had happened, she found that she was even more confused than ever.

He said he hadn't done _it_. How could he have not? The memory rose up around her, another tear leaking out as she watched it flickering across the sky like a bad quality movie. There he was- standing over her, his hand on her shoulder, and his lips, pressing themselves to hers in a way that was so different from the way they had just a few moments before.

And the kiss! Bile rose in her throat as she remembered how it had felt. She was horrified at that part of her that had succumbed to passion and somehow enjoyed the way that his hands rested gently, not constricting, on her waist, or how his skin had felt under her sensitive fingers, or worse- the way he, after a few seconds, had responded, telling some small corner of her mind that he was enjoying it too.

_Ah need therapy._ She thought, disgusted at her reaction. What kind of girl kissed someone who'd treated her that way, albeit under mind control, and then went and _enjoyed herself_?

And now she was locked up in the depths of her own mind, vulnerable and without hope of escape, waiting for the crazed mutant controlling her to somehow get noticed and defeated by the friends that probably hadn't even noticed her disappearance.

This certainly looked like a promising situation.

The little flashes she could see of the outside world started intensifying, and she saw the strangest things, like Magneto turning up at Jean and Scott's graduation, sending hordes of humans sprinting away from him.

She had to grin at that one.

There was a fleeting glimpse of Mystique, completely turned to stone, and some sort of pale pinky yellow glowing behind her. But she felt her body kept on walking, her hand pressing on some ancient device, which sprung open with a hiss-

And suddenly, her cage dissolved around her, and she was standing in a dark cave, disorientated and confused. Her eyes snapped open, and a hand touched her temple, trying to ease her pounding headache.

"Ugh, mah head-" But a spindly arm grabbed her, the papery skin touching her wrist, and there was a bright flash. Rogue braced herself, flinching as she felt her powers activate, but instead of receiving this creature's powers and memories, she felt the psyches being cruelly ripped from her mind, leaving her as empty and barren as before. Darkness washed over her vision as she was released, teetering from foot to foot and finally crumpling to the floor.

She didn't notice the ancient being rise up from his tomb, knocking back every single mutant that had come running to stop him with just a flick of his fingers. All she was aware of was a hand resting on her shoulder, rocking gently from side to side.

"What's wrong wit' de _fille_?" Rogue's eyelids fluttered, her eyes opening to lock with two very familiar, strangely colored ones.

"Get away from meh." She hissed, trying to inch out of his hold. The psyches were gone; once more she was powerless against him, vulnerable, weak. But he held on firmly, and she started trembling as he lowered his lips to brush her ear.

"Remy's got no idea what's goin' on wit' y'." He whispered. "But y've got some explainin' t' do." She flinched, yanking her shoulder out of his grip and scrabbling up into a crouched position, her fear only just cloaked by a deathly glare.

"You've got a lot more explainin' t' do than ah have." She replied, her voice still shaking a little. He frowned, that look of confusion coming over his features again.

"Remy saw de security tapes, and he don't know what y' t'ink he did, but-" Wolverine's growling tone interrupted him.

"Stay away from her, Gumbo. She's been through enough without you messin' with her life." He snarled, walking over to Rogue and gently lifting her to a standing position. No-one but Gambit noticed her balk slightly before letting the man help her to her feet, and his eyes narrowed, a calculating expression settling over his features as the X-Men exited the cave, leaving the Acolytes behind.

"One of dese days, Gambit's gonna catch up wit' dat _fille_." He muttered under his breath, absently twiddling the bare fingers that had fitted comfortably around her waist only a few days before. "And he's gonna find out what's goin' on."

_Sorry that this is such a short total filler chapter, but please don't murder me for the cliffie, blame my beta. glares Well, hope you liked the little snippet. I'll make sure to update super-fast to make up for it. Thanks so much for your amazing reviews. Up Next: Cajun Spice._

_Allyg1990_


	9. Losing a mother

_. "Rogue?" His accented voice reached her ears through the fog, and she took a step towards him, thick white mist swirling around her bare ankles. "Rogue? Where are y'?"_

_A sly grin spread across her face. "See if you can find meh." She replied coyly, taking another, careful step in his direction. She could almost hear him pout and cross his arms, and her grin widened visibly._

"_Dat ain't fair, chere, and y' know it." He informed her, but she could tell that he was teasing._

"_When have ah been the kind of girl to play fair?" She asked him, and suddenly she felt a warm presence behind her, shivering as his breath tickled her neck._

"_Well, if y' ain't gonna play fair…" His voice was husky as he slipped his arms around her waist and lowered his lips to her pale skin. "Remy won't either." She laughed, twisting in his hold so she could face him, cupping his lightly stubble-coated cheeks in her gloveless hands. Then he pressed his lips to hers and she closed her eyes, snaking her arms up around his neck. _

_The mist darkened, turning an ominous grey, as he broke the kiss, an arm roughly slamming into her shoulder and flinging her onto the hard ground. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, desperately trying to inch away, but within a few seconds he was down on the ground with her, his hands pinning her arms down._

"_Y've got some explainin' t' do, chere." He snarled, fear gripping her like it had the last time as she struggled, and the air seemed to squeeze tighter around her, constricting her, stopping her from breathing-_

She sat up with a scream, cold droplets of sweat running down her forehead as she fought to free herself from the tangle of sheets that had ensnared her.

The person that entered her room had no need for a door, and quietly snuck over to her bedside.

"Rogue? Are you like, okay?" Kitty asked, her voice tinged with more than a touch of concern. Rogue leant forwards, hands cradling her head.

"Ah'm fine, Kit. It was just a nightmare." She shivered, pulling her knees up to her chest and repeating her words just to assure herself of the truth. "Just a nightmare." She mumbled once more. Kitty seemed unconvinced.

"Are you sure? You sounded totally freaked out." The petite brunette told her, her eyes widening slightly as she emphasized her point. Rogue sighed.

"It's okay. Ah've been getting them ever since Mesmero…" she waved her hands in the air a little bit, and Kitty seemed to buy her half-lie.

"Well, if you're sure…" she trailed off uncertainly. "Look, Rogue, you've been acting kind of weird for a couple of months now. You know you can always like, talk to me, right?" Rogue smiled at the younger girl.

"Thanks, Kitty. Ah appreciate it." She said, feigning sincerity. Kitty nodded, phasing out through a nearby wall and disappearing. Rogue laid back down, turning over onto her side and curling up into a ball. There were some things you couldn't talk about, and this was definitely one of them.

For the next few weeks, Rogue spent most of her time alone, reading or catching up on homework she had missed during the many days she had been…otherwise occupied. One such work session was interrupted by a puff of smoke and the smell of sulfur and brimstone as her 'brother' appeared on the tabletop in front of her.

"He gave her to them!" Kurt yelled, shaking his fist. She ducked a blow heading her way.

"Geeze, Kurt, calm down." She instructed, slightly annoyed. "What happened?"

"The Brotherhood have our muzzer!" He told her, his voice pained. She snorted.

"When are ya gonna get it, Kurt? She's not mah mother." Kurt sighed, ignoring her statement.

"Doesn't it bozzer you zat ze Professor gave our muzzer to ze Brotherhood?" Her eyes darkened, her lips set in a firm line as she stood up abruptly.

"She used meh, Kurt." Rogue snarled. "In more ways than you know about. So as far as ah'm concerned, she's no mother of mine." Then she stalked off, leaving the teleporter to stare after her, wondering what those ways might be, to make her abandon the only family she had.

She stayed in her room that day, locking the door and throwing the key into a random corner of her room where it would take her a while to find it and release herself. When darkness fell and mist shrouded the ground, much like in her nightmare, she yanked the window open, slipping out into the black night.

Her gloved hands were jammed roughly in her pocket as she walked through the mansion grounds, her breath condensing to form clouds, floating suspended in the cold air. She shivered, and not because of the cold- she almost expected to feel his touch on her waist, his voice emanating from the haze.

Finally her feet touched the worn pathway that led up to the gazebo overlooking the sea. Maybe the icy sea air could cleanse her of the memories, drive away his presence lurking over her.

Her gaze trailed across the ground, and she didn't notice the two people standing there until they spoke.

"Vat is she doing here?" Kurt asked incredulously. The tall white-haired woman beside him shot her a pitying gaze.

"She has come to help, haven't you, child?" She asked, her tone holding no sympathy.

"With what?" Rogue started to ask, hesitantly walking up the varnished wooden steps, but she froze when she saw the lifeless stone figure of Mystique in the middle of the gazebo. Her face twisted into a frown as she backed away. "No. Ah'm not gettin' involved in this." She snapped, turning on her heel to make her way back down the steps. With a _bamf_, the blue shape of her 'brother' appeared in front of her, fuzzy hands slamming into her clothed shoulders.

"You are zhe only one who can save her." His blunt statement was more of a plea, and the steely force driving Rogue softened a little when she saw the beseeching expression on his face.

"Fahne." She said at last, peeling his arms off of her and turning back to the statue. She swallowed hard, trying to repress her hatred of the woman in front of her, fists clenching and knuckles whitening as the memories she had absorbed from Mystique flashed through her mind, forever ingrained in her own memory even though the originals had been taken by Apocalypse. "What do I do?" Her voice was clenched, and she struggled to spit the words out.

"A tap will suffice." The woman said briskly. "Just to absorb the mutation. Then she will be able to use her own to break free." Rogue hesitantly slipped off one leather glove to reveal flawless ivory skin, a finger stretching out to touch the cold hard stone.

But then the memories overtook her.

"_What kind of a mother stands by and does nothin' while her daughter gets raped?"_

"_Don't do this Rogue! I am your mother!"_

"_You're no mother of mine!"_

The statue's eyes seemed to flash, and Rogue's eyes narrowed, her hands instinctively jabbing out into the air, connecting with the stone for a split second as it teetered. But as she turned, she watched with horror as the rock slammed into the wooden railings encircling the gazebo, splintered shards of wood spraying into the air as it toppled over the cliff. The anguished cry that accompanied a puff of smoke confirmed what she already knew was true, and she span around, running back into the mist until she reached a solitary bench cradled between the trees. She collapsed onto it, knees touching and ankles splayed, tears seeping through the cracks in the gloveless hand that held her face.

"What have ah done?" She whispered. She had been the victim; now she was the perpetrator. She had been sinned against; now she was the sinner. In all that Mystique had done to her, nothing justified a murder. A sharp pain tore at her heart, and with a sickening feeling she realized that whatever Mystique had done, there had been some corner of her heart that had loved Rogue. And now she would never be able to experience it.

"_I'm sorry…"_

It was with a heavy heart that Rogue trailed to school the next day, a long way behind Kitty and Amara. The distance between them meant that when they turned the corner, she was left behind. And then Kitty's quiet voice filtered through, carried by a stray wind, telling her things she wasn't meant to hear.

"What's up with Rogue these days?" She whispered nervously, looking back to check that Rogue hadn't caught up with them. Amara shrugged, but Kitty continued. "I mean, not just the whole pushing-Mystique-off-a-cliff thing, but for _months_ now. Since before mutants got exposed. I mean, I know she got her own room after the mansion was rebuilt, so I'm not really supposed to be listening in, but she's right next door, and…" the petite brunette paused uncertainly. "Well, she like, talks in her sleep a lot. And most of the time, she's kind of pleading with someone, asking them not to hurt her. I thought it was just really bad nightmares, but then she mentioned a name…"

Rogue stood stock still, a sick feeling boiling up in the pit of her stomach and the trembles overcoming her once more. Kitty couldn't find out; no-one could find out. No-one would believe her.

She spun around and started hastily walking in the other direction, but Kitty's voice still floated down towards her. "…Gambit." Rogue froze, almost able to hear the pounding of her heart in the silence. When her feet moved, they moved faster than ever, slapping the ground as she ran, her hair whipped back by wind and her arms tight by her side.

But then a force tugged on her arm, yanking her sideways into a dark alleyway and gently tossing her to the ground. All she could see were two red orbs glowing in the darkness, her eyes widening as she inched backwards, pressing herself into the alley wall.

"_Bonjour, chere_." Remy said, languidly twirling a staff between his fingers. Her mouth went dry, her breathing becoming shaky as she realized that once more she was alone with him, in the dark, and there was no way to escape.

"Please… leave me alone." She managed to stutter, pale features riddled with fear. He frowned, crouching down to get to her level. Her shivering and the terrified expression in her eyes only served to confuse him more, and he held out his hand, a vial resting in it.

"M' sorry, Rogue." He told her gently, his voice genuinely apologetic. "But Remy's got t' figure dis out once and fo' all." The material the vial was made of crushed between his fingers, and he took a deep breath as a thick, greenie-yellow smoke rushed out of the gaps to engulf Rogue in an acidic smell, rushing through her veins until finally she closed those pain-filled eyes and dropped towards the floor. She would never see the way a hand shot out to cradle her head before it hit the floor, fingers taking a moment to memorize the feel of her hair before his other hand slid below her knees so that he could hold her light frame to his chest. "M' sorry, Rogue." He murmured again, biting his lip to keep himself from brushing a soft kiss on her ivory cheek. And this time, there was no doubt that he meant the apology.

_Okay, I lied. I put less of Cajun Spice in there than I intended to. Sorry! Thank you all so much for your reviews; they really motivate me to write more, so please keep on clicking that little button!!_

_allyg1990_


	10. Confrontation

It was morning again when Remy LeBeau first noticed Rogue's eyelashes fluttering, her body stirring slightly as she started to wake. He didn't move, careful not to wake her, but also confident that she would not be going anywhere anytime soon- her wrists and ankles were securely bound with generous lengths of thick rope.

When her eyelids did finally twitch and slide back to reveal her dazed emerald eyes, he was leaning against the opposite wall of the train car that they were currently traveling in, absently shuffling a pack of cards.

"_Bonjour, _Rogue." He said agreeably as her vision started to focus. "Y've been out fo' a while now." A mixed expression of fear and anger shot momentarily across her face, and he couldn't stop the half-smile forming on his lips- the anger made the fires flickering in her eyes burn brighter and the red curve of her mouth seem just a little fuller, adding another dimension to her subtle attractiveness. The fear was more unsettling.

"What are ya gonna do to meh?" She asked bluntly, the uncaring, confident exterior ruined by the slight scared quiver of her voice. He frowned, sliding down to sit across from her with one knee bent, the other leg stretching out so that it was mere millimeters away from hers. She flinched slightly, drawing her knees towards her as one chrome boot brushed her sneakers, and the action didn't go unnoticed.

"Not'in." He replied, equally blunt. "Remy just wants t' know why y' keep actin' so jumpy 'round him. And dere's de matter of what y' said in de warehouse." His frown deepened, and he crossed his arms stubbornly across his broad chest. "So y'd better start explainin' now."

Rogue couldn't help but snort. "Ah don't know what you think you're talkin' 'bout, askin' what ah said in the warehouse. Ah wouldn't think that it's the kind of thing ya forget too easily." Her voice softened as she drew her knees further towards her, pressing them protectively into her chest. "At least, ah know ah'm never gonna forget it."

He leant back languidly, resting his arms behind his head.

"Remy wants de full story." He drawled. "We've got a long journey ahead of us, _chere_, so feel free t' tell Remy everyt'in'." She winced, casting her eyes towards the wooden floor of the boxcar.

"Don't call meh that." She said quietly, a pleading note evident in her voice. "Ah ain't your dear. Y' don't treat people you care about the way you treated meh." His arms slipped out from behind him, and he slung them casually over his knees as he leant forward.

"And exactly how do y' t'ink Remy treated you?" He asked offhandedly, genuinely perplexed as to how she would answer. Rogue looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.

"You want the full story?" She asked bitterly. "Well, havin' mah powers… not bein' able to touch… it kinda gets you down sometimes. Ah was younger, stupid, and felt lahke drowning mah sorrows out for a while. So ah stole a bottle o' wine from the mansion's store, sat mahself down on a park bench, and pretty soon ah wasn't thinkin' too straight." She paused for a moment, bound fingers playing restlessly with one another. "Then you came." She said, her voice even softer. "Somehow, we could touch. And then you…" her cheeks colored ever so slightly in spite of herself. "…you kissed meh, and ah- ah kissed you back." She shut her eyes, a single warm tear escaping to drizzle down one ivory cheek as she forced herself to continue. "You hurt meh, _Gambit_. And ah can't understand why you don't remember."

He had been silent for more than an eternity when at last he mumbled, "_Mon dieu._" Her head snapped up angrily, her fingers itching to slap him.

"There ya go." She hissed. "Ah told you everythin'. And all you can say is _mah god_?" He bit a lip nervously.

"De dreams I've been havin'- you're de _fille_ in dem, and dat's what- _mon dieu_, Rogue." He repeated softly. "M' so sorry, but I'd never hurt y'. I can't remember dat night, not one little bit." Rogue's fists clenched.

"And ah'm supposed to believe you?" She asked sarcastically. He shook his head.

"_Non_. Y've got no reason t'. Except-" he hesitated for a moment, before continuing slowly. "Because of m' powers, dere's dis static shield around _moi_. Stops de telepaths gettin' in here." He explained, tapping a temple. "And I'm wonderin'- could dat be why we can touch?"

"And what's that got to do with the price of peas in Florida?" She demanded, not quite understanding what was going on. He spoke after a few seconds.

"Well, dis shield t'ing- if I'm chargin' somet'in', it disappears." He explained. "So if I focus real hard on m' memories of m' dream and of y', and I charge somet'in' at de same time, mebbe y' could absorb _moi_." He proclaimed triumphantly. She shot him a skeptical look, but relented after a moment. If he was right, this was a way to resolve everything once and for all.

"Fahne." She spat through gritted teeth. "But do it quickly." Within a split second, a card was in his hand as he moved towards her, sitting down a safe distance away. She forced herself not to instinctively back away, swamped simultaneously by fear and by his familiar scent of tobacco and spices. His free hand inched slowly towards hers, slowly, gently reaching out to slip off one black leather glove. She held her breath, afraid of what he would do, but his warm fingers curled around hers in a way that was almost intimate. If it had been anyone else, the gesture might have seemed comforting, but it was _him_, and it just made her heartbeat quicken with the adrenalin rushing through her veins, readying her muscles to flee at the slightest wrong turn.

Suddenly the card in his other hand seemed to burst into flame, burning with that familiar yellow and pink kinetic aura. Rogue squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pull that she had never felt with him before, and Remy breathed in sharply, hand tightening around hers as he saw a few very faint sparks flicker across their joined skin.

Then it happened; there was a bright blue flash as his memories, powers and life force all flowed into her. The lit card lost its glow, falling slowly to the ground and crumbling onto the wood of the boxcar as it landed. Rogue snapped back as far as her bonds would let her as Remy's hand became limp around hers, soon falling away completely as his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped onto the floor.

Rogue's bonds began to glow softly, dropping to the floor as she desperately tried to reign in her newfound powers, but charges flickered around patches of clothing and exposed skin, and she curled up in a ball, trying to deal with his memories as pieces of her shirt and trousers slowly drifted away, leaving her more exposed than ever.

Remy slowly opened his eyes with a low groan, propping himself up on his elbows to find her quietly wracked with sobs a few feet away from him, wide expanses of bare skin showing where pieces of cloth had fallen away from her. Hastily he shrugged off his trench coat, wincing as he got to his feet. He took a step towards her, crouching down and placing a hand on her bare shoulder.

"Rogue? Y' okay?" He asked gently, his voice hoarse. She bit her lip, fingers curling into fists, but she let him carefully take a hold of her shoulders and pull her to a sitting position. She sat motionless and numb as he slipped the coat around her shoulders, pulling it tight around her so that she was covered again. Then he eased himself down to the floor beside her, leaning against the wooden wall. "Do y' want t' talk 'bout it?"

Rogue closed her eyes, biting down harder on her lip.

"Ah know y' don't remember." She admitted softly, fingers slackening a little. Then she took a breath. "And I know why you've been havin' dreams about…it, even though you can't remember a thing." She looked up at him, eyes searching his. "Ah know because ah've been through it too. You were… being controlled. Ah'm guessin' ya had your mind wiped too. That's why you can't remember." She said bitterly, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them tight. "But ah can." She added quietly, a silent tear rolling down her cheek.

Remy felt a flood of relief and anger flood through him after her statement- relief that she knew it wasn't his fault, and anger at whatever sick telepath had been controlling him. What kind of a person controls another purely to put a seventeen year old girl through _that_?

Hesitantly he slipped an arm around her shoulders, and she didn't move a muscle as he pulled her close.

"I'm sorry, _chere_." He murmured into her hair. "I'm so, so sorry." A sad smile curved on his lips. "We can't jus' put dis behind us, can we?" She closed her eyes, letting herself lean into him.

"No, Remy." She mumbled, surprising him by using his name for the first time. "We can't. Ah know this is all some screwed up mess, and none of it's your fault, but still…" she trailed off, picking it up again after a few seconds. "It's your eyes ah remember, starin' at me that night. Your hands pressin' me against that bench. It's you that's burned into mah mind… and that's gonna be hard to get past."

He rubbed a thumb soothingly in light circles around her arm, not saying a word, because he understood. When the silence was broken it was again her who spoke, turning her head so that her face was pressed against his shoulder.

"It's just, ah don't understand what happened in that warehouse. It was Mesmero who made meh kiss you, but after ah got over bein' completely scared stiff-" He smiled, bringing his other hand up to let his naked fingers brush her cheek as she continued. "-ah kind of found mahself enjoyin' it." She faltered a little, drawing back and locking her gaze with his. "Is that so wrong?"

He brought his lips down to her forehead, brushing a light kiss along her hairline.

"_Non_." He whispered. "Dere ain't not'in wrong wit' dat. 'Cause I know I enjoyed it too."

Slowly, her fingers crept up to caress his cheek, savoring the feel of his skin against hers. Sensitive fingertips memorized every inch of his face, running over his eyebrows, nose and chin. His lips parted under her feather-light touch, and impulsively she brought her face closer to his, stopping just millimeters away. For a long moment she searched his eyes, trying to decipher the mysteries locked behind those red-on-black orbs. Then cautiously, almost begging for permission, he closed the gap between them, capturing her lips with his.

_Muahahaha…. There, a nice fluffy part to end. You'll just have to wait and see what happens:) And btw, Remy's lapse out of third person is just kind of an indication that he feels comfortable around her. He'll probably speak in 1__st__ person around Rogue from now on. _

_Allyg1990_


	11. Learning to Trust

For a few long moments, Rogue kept still, uncertain of how to react. But then carefully her hands moved from where they had fallen on his shoulders to cup Remy's face, while his fell further down her waist, palms unintentionally laying flat against her waistband. She froze; the sensation brought back bad memories. Slowly she broke away, thumbs coming to rest firmly over lips that ached to kiss her again.

"Not yet." She murmured, almost apologetically, and he realized his mistake, hands returning to their previous position halfway down her back as she snaked her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shirt. He rocked her soothingly from side to side as her tears soaked into his shirt. "Ah'm sorry." The words were muffled, her lips crushed against the thin material covering his skin. A strong thumb came to rest under her chin, sternly pulling her chin up.

"Y've got not'in' t' be sorry 'bout,' He told her firmly. "I should be sorry." And then the digit was withdrawn, and she pressed her face to his chest once more. One of his hands held her close to him, the other comfortingly teasing her hair as her slim frame shook, wracked with sobs. Slowly they eased, and she turned so that his heart beat against her ear, her eyelashes still glimmering with teary dewdrops. They stayed like that a long while, satisfied purely by each other's presence, until the boxcar stopped rattling along the train tracks and the vehicle ground to a halt.

"Rogue?" He whispered, gently straightening. She stirred, green eyes slowly opening as she sat up.

"Ah don't think ah've slept so well in months." She admitted, a glimmer of a smile flickering on her lips. He pressed his lips to the top of her head for a brief moment before pulling away, but not really wanting to stand up.

"Well, dis be our stop." He announced, unmoving. She sighed, slowly getting to her feet.

"We'd better get outta here." She said regretfully. "Ah should call the institute and let them know ah'm okay." Her stomach growled of its own accord, and she raised an eyebrow. "Besides, ah seem to be hungry." She remarked dryly. He grinned, jumping deftly to his feet and gently pulling her up. She swayed slightly, dizzied by exhaustion, and he steadied her.

"Dis won't do." He remarked, scooping her up into his arms. She let out a squeak of protest, but remained very still. "Dere." He said at last, shifting so that she was in a comfortable position and making sure his trench coat was covering her. "Dat's better." His tone was approving, and she couldn't complain. He started walking towards the open door of the boxcar, leaping down in one fluid movement and managing to land in a crouch so he wouldn't jar her.

"Where are we?" She asked inquisitively, craning her neck to see if the area around her was at all familiar.

"New Orleans." He replied nonchalantly, smiling to himself when he saw her face light up.

"Really?"

"I do believe this is your neck of the woods." He remarked, taking long strides away from the train track.

"Mississippi, actually." She murmured, telling him nothing he didn't already know. Then she turned her face up towards his. "Isn't this _your_ hometown?" She saw his muscles stiffen visibly, and he took a deep breath, waiting a few moments until he relaxed before replying,

"_Oui_." Rogue was silent for a while, looking down and taking the time to soak up this information. Then she caught his gaze again, her concern evident in her eyes.

"Somethin' tells meh you're not too happy to be home." It was more of a question than a statement, and he looked away.

"Y're right." He admitted. "I was t'inkin' dat after we had a chat I could sort out some family business, but after everyt'in'…" He broke off abruptly, rewarding her with a crooked half-smile. "Anyway, y're hungry and dere's dis little jazz club I know dat makes the best Jambalaya. So I figure dat's a start."

She smiled slightly, and it reached her eyes as she lifted a hand to his cheek, thumb tracing over the contours of his cheekbones.

"Remy?"

"Mm?" Her smile grew into a fully fledged grin.

"Thanks." His face reflected hers for a moment, but then turned serious.

"It's the least I can do, Rogue." He said quietly. Then he laughed, brushing one white stripe of hair out of her eyes. "Besides, what's not t' like 'bout trailin' around the states with y'?" The faintest possible tinge of color rose to the apples of her cheeks, and he smirked in the satisfaction that came from making her blush.

Absently he ran a hand through his untrimmed hair, his other doing very well at supporting her weight. With Rogue, everything was so…different. With any other girl, he might have made a cheeky comment or a sly brush of his fingers against her skin, but with Rogue, all his usual charm flew out the window. Just one little wrong turn, and he'd scare her off permanently, shattering the fragile newborn trust that had been forged between them. And that was one thing that he would give anything to preserve.

Rogue's accented voice broke into his reverie.

"Ah think ah can walk now." She insisted, trying to get down from his hold. He sensed that she was getting a little uncomfortable in the close proximity to him, and let her down, one broad hand still supporting her back. She carefully slipped her arms through the arm holes of his coat, and he chuckled when he saw the oversized garment draped awkwardly over her slim frame. She scowled. "Stop gawkin', swamp rat. Your coat ain't exactly mah preferred choice o' clothin'."

"Well, y' look _tres sexy_ in it." He assured her with a flirtatious glance, stopping in his tracks as he saw her features harden and her gaze snap back to the ground. "Rogue,'m sorry-" He started, but she cut in.

"No, it's just…" she trailed off abruptly, hugging herself with her arms. "Everythin' is happenin' so quickly. Ah mean…" she took a breath. "Ah like you, really, ah do. But there's still a big part of meh that's terrified whenever you're around, that wants to run away whenever you touch meh, and that's gonna be hard to get rid of." He hesitated, wanting to pull her towards him, as if he could kiss her worries away, but at the same time knowing that the safest choice would be to back off a few meters. Finally he settled for a warm hand weighing down on her shoulder.

"_Je sais._" He said quietly. "M' not gonna push y'." To his surprise she bit her lip, leaning in towards him.

"Thanks." She whispered, biting back the sudden urge to keep away from him. "It means a lot." Instinctively he slung an arm around her shoulders, if only to protect her from the crowds welling up around them as they entered the town. She flinched a little, but didn't resist.

"Remy?" She asked suddenly, for some reason feeling the need to tell him everything. He nodded to show that she was listening, and she carried on haltingly. "Y' know that part of meh that wants to be a million miles away whenever ya get close?" He nodded again, unspeaking. She breathed in deeply, and then smiled very, very slightly. "Well, that part of meh gets a little smaller every time you hold meh."

He grinned again, wider than ever, and then swore, pulling her close and wrapping her up in a very loose hug, to show her it wasn't aggressive. "That's all I need to know." He whispered hoarsely. Her own smile widened as she gently extricated herself from his hold. But one small, bare ivory hand stayed linked with his half-gloved one, as assurance that there was a small part of her that regretted the action.

"Ya promised meh food." She reminded him, swinging the hand lightly back and forth.

"_Oui_, that I did." He remembered, and then set off walking, pulling her after him and barely hearing the strangled squeak as they navigated through the crowds.

It was with a sigh that Professor Charles Xavier pulled the Cerebro headgear off, gently placing it on its stand.

"Did you find anything?" Kitty Pryde asked impatiently, speaking for all of the students and staff of the Xavier Institute who were standing around the Professor. Their mentor shook his head sadly.

"There was one instance where Rogue used her powers, but it was as if she was moving- I could not pinpoint her location. I did, however, locate another mutant using his powers at the exact same time." Wolverine paced from foot to foot, an unlit cigar being crushed between his fingers.

"Well, who was it, Chuck?" The Professor's expression was grim as he looked up.

"Gambit." There was a gasp: Kitty had gone deathly white.

"Oh no." She murmured under her breath. Xavier's gaze snapped towards hers.

"Katherine? Do you have something you'd like to share that may be of use?" Kitty nodded uncertainly, nervously shuffling forward.

"Well, I know you told me not to eavesdrop…." She went on to explain about Rogue's nightmares. The Professor's fingers made that steeple shape around his nose that only happened when he was deep in thought. Finally he replied.

"Thank you, Kitty. May the New Recruits please leave the room- this does not concern you." There were a few moans and grumbles, but a popped claw from Wolverine hastened them all somewhat, and finally the professor took a deep breath and continued. "I have always respected Rogue's privacy, and when we have sessions trying to help her control her powers, I never pry into her personal space. Indeed, she does a remarkable job of locking her memories away. But we were making steady progress until suddenly, she lost the motivation." He paused for a moment. "It was as if she didn't want to gain control." Jean frowned.

"But why wouldn't she want to be able to touch?" She asked, genuinely perplexed. "I thought that was all she ever wanted." The Professor exhaled.

"I do not know. I was only ever able to glimpse one brief memory, of a hand touching her shoulder. Her _bare _shoulder. The only distinctive feature I can remember is that the man- I know it was a man- was wearing black leather fingerless gloves." Logan inhaled sharply, glancing at Kitty.

"Well, going on that detail, we've got two people who could be screwing with Rogue's life in some way." He stated, and though it was a statement that didn't require an answer, Kitty shrugged and spoke.

"Well, Lance, but it can't be him…" then it clicked, and her face paled even further. "It's Gambit."

_Cue Beast: 'Oh my stars and garters."_

_Oooh, finally! At this point they've realized that something screwed up is going on. So off to New Orleans they fly. Thanks for all your reviews!_

_And it's my birthday today, so reviews would be the perfect birthday present. Make me feel happier than i already am. :)_

_Allyg1990_


	12. Explanation

_Disclaimer: Well, I kind of forgot until now. But you know the drill. I own nothing, except the plot._

_And I've never done this before, but this chapter is dedicated to TheRealRogue, because it's her BIRTHDAY! Happy birthday:)_

"Looks like dat hit de spot." Remy noted, a smile flickering over his lips as Rogue finally managed to scrape up the last spoonful of Jambalaya. She straightened, shoving the plate roughly away from her.

"You have no idea." She admitted. The thief just grinned.

"_Non_." He protested. "Remy may not have fed de prisoner, but he didn't feed himself either." He told her, leaning back on his chair. Rogue propped herself up with her elbows, ungloved knuckles supporting her rounded chin.

"Ya went back to speakin' in third person." She observed, her voice holding some tinge of regret. He shrugged, his gaze flicking to the corners of the room.

"Guess it's jus' bein' back home…" His own voice held a bitter edge, and her head tilted slightly to the side.

"You weren't happy here?" He looked down, eyes scanning the intricate knots in the surface of their table.

"Not after I got m' powers." He said softly. Rogue bit her lip, and her own gaze dropped downwards.

"Ah can understand _that_." She mumbled. Then one hand slowly crept out to brush his, and he responded, twining his fingers with hers. "Do yah want to talk 'bout it?" He nervously wetted his lips.

"'S not'in- just dat _mon pere_ was more interested in m' powers den _moi_ after dat." He explained. Rogue's eyes closed.

"Ah'm sorry." It was just a whisper, but he heard it, squeezing her hand briefly.

"Like I said, 's not'in." She didn't pursue the topic further, and he didn't offer anymore information, red-on-black eyes locked on her thin, flawless fingers, wrapped in his large and calloused ones. Absently his fingers began tracing abstract patterns on the back of her hand as the jazz music radiating from the next room filtered into his ears. She shivered at the contact, but he didn't notice, continuing his ministrations, oblivious to the warmth tingeing her usually snow-white cheeks.

"Aww, de great Remy LeBeau's got himself a girlfriend." Remy's head snapped up at the familiar drawl, and he abruptly dropped Rogue's hand, springing to his feet and snapping out his staff.

"Whether Remy's got a _fille_ or not ain't none of y' concern, _Julien_." He replied smoothly, composed features barely betraying his true feelings on the situation. Rogue stayed seated, her hands suddenly cold without him warming them.

Julien's features twisted into an ugly frown.

"It's m' business, all right." He snarled. "Belladonna's never been de same since."

Rogue froze.

"Who's Belladonna?" She asked evenly, getting to her feet. Remy shot her a pleading look.

"It's not what y' t'ink, Rogue." Her lip quivered, but she held her gaze.

"I don't know what to believe." She murmured, almost inaudibly. But he heard her, and his shoulders sagged. This was not going to plan.

"I'll explain everyt'in', _je promets_." He said quietly, only for her ears. She looked away, no longer able to take the beseeching look in those oddly-colored eyes.

"Yah'd better." Her voice was barely a mumble. Julien's mouth had curved into a sinister smile.

"Aww, so Remy's been keepin' t'ings from y'. Dere's a surprise." He said pleasantly. "Did he make y' t'ink y' were someone special? _Non_, y're just another one of his-" Within an instant the butt of Remy's Bo staff was lurking dangerously on a delicate patch of skin on Julien's throat.

"Finish dat sentence and y're a dead man." Remy growled. Julien's smile widened, his hands lifting up above his head in surrender. Remy didn't back off.

"Hm, mebbe she _is _someone special." Julien noticed wisely. A click of his fingers later, two men emerged silently from the shadows, grabbing Rogue's arms from either side. "In dat case, mebbe de Assasins's guild should have a little…chat… wit' 'er."

Rogue couldn't help but smirk.

"Ah'm sorry fellas, but ah've got a prior engagement." She said agreeably, and her bare fingers found their way to the gap between the men's shirts and trousers. Within an instant, that familiar blue flash spread between their skin and hers, and they dropped like rocks to the ground. She swayed ever so slightly, but managed to turn to Julien, eyebrows raised as she wiped her hands on her tattered shirt. "You were sayin'?" Remy grinned, and his captive's eyes widened.

"_Merde_." Julien whispered. Rogue stalked up to him, arms akimbo.

"Aww, the dirty Cajun lahked mah party trick." She cooed, and her fingers trailed over his cheek, quickly rendering him unconscious. Remy scowled.

"Dat wasn' fair, _chere_, I wanted to knock him out." He almost whined. Rogue glared back. "Yah've got a lot of explainin' to do, swamp rat, so let's get outta this joint so yah can start." Remy nodded obligingly, eyes flicking from angered customer to customer.

"Sounds like a plan." He told her, grabbing her hand and setting off at a run. She yelped, jerking along after him until she recovered and started running.

They weaved through the crowds, bumping into person after person and leaving a trail of downed people in their wake. It took a good few minutes, but at last they reached a stray patch of completely deserted grass. Rogue neatly sat down Indian style, motioning for Remy to do the same. He lowered himself to the ground, instead sitting with his legs sprawled out and his torso propped up by his elbows.

"Yah forgot tah pay the bill." Rogue reminded him. He smirked, shrugging his shoulders casually.

"I'm a t'ief, Rogue. It don't bot'er me so much." She was silent, waiting for him to start explaining, and he sighed. "Look, Rogue. I'd better start from de beginning." She nodded.

"We've got plenty of time." She remarked wryly. "Ah figure it'll take the X-Men a few more hours to get their act together and come rescue meh." He almost flinched at her choice of words.

"Rescue?" He asked softly. She flashed him a serious glance.

"Tell meh about Belladonna first, and then ah'll decide if ah need rescuin' or not." She mumbled, half-embarrassed to be doubting him, half terrified of what he would say.

He took a deep breath and started.

"Well, from m' memories, y' may or may not know dat I'm part of de New Orleans t'ieves guild." She nodded.

"Julien gave me that particular piece of information."

"An' Julien is part of de Assassins guild. We…" He trailed off.

"Aren't too friendly." Rogue supplied. He inclined his head.

"_Oui_. Well, Julien's de son of the leader of de Assassins, _un homme _by de name of Marius Bordreaux. And _mon pere_, Jean Luc, he's de leader of de T'ieves." Again, it was nothing Rogue didn't already know from the memories she'd just absorbed. He carried on.

"Well, Julien's got a sister called Belladonna. Our _peres_ got it into deir heads dat it would be a good idea t' marry us off, t' create unity between de guilds." He cast his gaze to the ground, his voice turning into a mumble. "Problem was, we weren't too friendly eider." Rogue's fists clenched, but she stayed quiet as he continued, slightly sheepishly.

"Well, Bella was used t' bein' de centre of attention, an' when I told my _pere_," he winced. "In front 'o her, dat I t'ought she was de most spoilt, self-centred _putain_ dat I'd ever met…" Rogue's eyes widened, almost like those of a child listening to a story about the boldness of another. "…well, dat didn' improve t'ings between us."

Rogue raised her eyebrows skeptically. "And that's why her brother wants your guts for garters? For callin' his sister a-" He raised a hand.

"Let me finish." He tutted. "But anyway, friendly or not, y' don' go defyin' de guild leaders, so a few months later, we ended up at the altar." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "But when it came to de vows… eh, I couldn' say dem. I bailed out on everyone halfway t'rough. Dat's how I ended up workin' for Magneto."

Rogue couldn't help but stare.

"Let me get this straight. Julien wants to kill yah because you left his sister at the altar." She asked dubiously. Remy nodded grimly.

"_Oui._ De _homme_'s _complètement fou!_ " He paused. "Dat's why I'm here. He's holdin' _mon pere_ hostage."

"So _that's_ the 'family business' yah were gonna sort out." Rogue muttered under her breath. Then her eyes flashed with an idea, and for the first time in her life, she retreated to the back of her mind, where all the psyches and memories she'd absorbed were neatly locked away.

_Julien!_ She called in a sing-song voice. _Come on out, sugah._ He didn't want to, of course, but a flick of her finger sent a binding piece of cord whizzing towards him to wrap around his shoulders, pulling him towards her._ There's a good little piece of swamp scum. _She praised him approvingly. _Now, hand over those memories…_ Like a tsunami bursting through a set of old and rotted floodgates, they rushed towards her, flashing through her mind almost uncontrollably, and her physical hands shot up to cradle her skull-

"Rogue! _Chere_, are y' okay?" When she opened her eyes, Remy was kneeling in front of her, clearly very worried and very confused, his hands pressing down urgently on her shoulders. She grinned, sending Julien back into his mental prison.

"Ah'm fine." She informed him, her smile widening. "And ah know where your father is!"

_Ah, another chapter of Romy goodness! And a bit more of Remy's past, to set up the whole Jean-Luc rescue thing. I know Julien's probably being a little melodramatic, and Belladonna's being way too clingy, but hey, in this version, they're both totally insane. Hope that clears a few things up! Thanks so much for the reviews; I think I'M going insane with happiness now that I've surpassed 130!_

_Allyg1990_


	13. Blast from the Past

"Y' know where _mon pere_ is." Remy repeated dubiously. Rogue's white stripes of hair had fallen in front of her eyes during her little talk with Julien's psyche, and she tucked them impatiently behind her ears before replying.

"Yeah. They're holdin' him at the Assassin stronghold." Remy swore softly under his breath, eyebrows knitting together as he tried to formulate a plan. Finally he glanced up at her, locking his gaze with hers.

"Here's de plan; we wait until y' X-Men get here, y' can go off wit' dem back t' de Institute, and I'll go after _mon pere-"_ She cut in before he could finish his sentence.

"No way!" She argued. "Yah'll never get past their defenses without meh. You're gonna end up at the bottom o' some murky swamp!" He smirked, leaning back again.

"I didn' know y' cared." He teased. Her face fell, and he knew he'd said something wrong.

"Don't joke about that, Remy." She said seriously. "After the last day or so, you should know that ah care 'bout you." Her stare dropped to her bare fingers for a scant second, and her voice turned almost incredulous. "Heck, ah care 'bout you a lot more than someone in mah position probably should." She added in a soft voice. He reached over to squeeze her hand gently, trailing a thumb tenderly over her knuckles.

"_Je sais_, Rogue." He murmured, not meeting her eyes. "And I care 'bout y' too, y' know dat." As his gaze flickered towards her, she smiled shyly.

"Ah know." She whispered. Instinctively he scooted over across the grass press himself to her side and sling an arm around her shoulders. Her breath caught in her throat, but he was pleased to notice that she barely flinched. She leant her head against his shoulder. "Ah'm comin' with ya." She informed him. He grinned.

"Y' a stubborn _fille_, y' know dat?" She nodded, smirking slightly.

"So ah've been told." She remarked dryly, abruptly getting up. He looked up at her, startled, but her hands went to her hips. "Come on, swamp rat, we've got some rescuin' t' do." He sighed dramatically, quickly getting to his feet and dusting off the grass that had stuck to his legs.

"Anot'er few hours in de Assassin stronghold ain't gonna kill Jean-Luc." Remy grumbled. Rogue slapped his shoulder lightly.

"Don' say that. At least you still have your father." She said quietly, losing her playful tone as she turned away from him, emerald eyes searching the stars. "Ah pushed mah mother off a cliff."

In an instant he was behind her, hands hesitantly resting on her trench-coat covered arms as he tucked her head under his chin.

"Y' didn' want t'." He said confidently. She furrowed her brow, startled.

"How do yah know that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. He shrugged sheepishly.

"Are y' gonna get mad if I told y' I was keepin' an eye on y'?" She shuddered.

"Yah were _spyin'_ on meh? That's kind of creepy." She muttered.

"I'm a t'ief, _chere_. What do y' expect? Besides, how else was I supposed t' find a suitable time to carry you away?" He asked sensibly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. She sighed.

"Ah don't think ah'm _ever_ gonna get used to that." She admitted. "The one person who can touch meh is a stalker." She turned around to face him, looking up with a sly smile on her face. "Lucky that yah like meh, then." He grinned.

"_Oui_, lucky for y', _chere_." He agreed, hands impulsively slipping up rest on her shoulders, one sliding further upwards, stopping at her neck. For a few eternal moments, their gazes stayed locked, but then they both leant in at almost the same time, pausing again when their faces were millimeters apart. His head tilted ever so slightly, eyes picking out a small smidgen of worry in her eyes. "Y' don' want t' do dis." He breathed, and then echoed her previous words. "Not yet." She turned her face away, eyes closing bitterly.

"Ah don't know what's wrong with meh. Most gals would either be runnin' a mile a minute or lettin' yah kiss them." She muttered. "Ah can't seem to make mah mind up." His lips grazed her cheek, barely touching.

"Y' doin' fine." He murmured against her skin. "I don't want t' push y'." She smiled slightly, turning back to him.

"Yah're not pushin' meh, swamp rat. If yah were, yah wouldn'ta given meh a choice." There was a moment of silence, neither daring to look at eachother. Then Rogue spoke up, shattering the tension as she broke away.

"The Assassin's stronghold ain't exactly somewhere yah can walk to. Where are yah plannin' on findin' a boat?" Remy smirked.

"Where dere's a will, dere's a way." He said mysteriously, walking into the darkness. "Follow me."

* * *

Barely half an hour after they'd acquired their mode of transport, Rogue was still laughing.

"Ah can't get over that." She gasped. "That old geezer surrendered his boat to yah as if yah were a pretty girl askin' him for a favor. He was practically flirtin' with you!" Remy wrinkled his nose.

"No offense meant to de old guy, _chere_, but he ain't exactly my type." Rogue's giggles slowly subsided, and when she spoke again, there was a curious lilt to her tone.

"How did yah do it?" She asked softly, the corners of her eyes crinkled in sudden confusion. Remy fidgeted, turning his face to the murky swamp water, fingers almost itching to trail through it.

Of course, he knew better, and when he turned back after a long second, his hands were intertwined on his knees, the black leather covered segments almost invisible in the darkness.

"'S _mes yeux_." He muttered at last. "de eyes. Dey give me a kind of… _hypnotism_."

Rogue's eyes widened and she tore them away from his suddenly oh-so-familiar red-on-black gaze, glowing in the darkness once again. How often had he used them against her on their little train journey?

"That's why ah was helpless." She whispered, fear tearing through her. "You…you _hypnotized me_."

Now he was helpless as she turned away, her own green eyes locking on the water flowing past the dull shell of their motor boat. He didn't miss the solitary tear trailing down one cheek as she relived her past once more. He bit his lip, unsure of how to react.

"Well," he said lightly. "Now dat y' know 'bout it, it won' work on y' again." She didn't move.

"Is that all yah can say?" She muttered, her already pale knuckles turning alabaster as gripped the side of the boat. "Maybe ah'm bein' harsh. But relivin' the moment ain't exactly on mah top ten ways to spend a boat trip with mah _rapist_." Remy flinched. That had hurt him more than she could imagine.

"Y' have no idea how much I want t' comfort y'." He said, tone bordering on cold. "But mebbe I'm de only person who can't do dat." Rogue bowed her head, ashamed. It wasn't his fault, but she could still see those eyes, and feel the hypnotic mist settling over her, twisting her will to his. And it scared her.

They sat in silence, until suddenly a large fortified mansion came into view and Remy cut the motor.

"Get down!" He hissed, roughly yanking her sleeve and pulling her onto the floor of the boat. His breath was warm and heavy on her cheek, and she almost winced at the proximity, memories still rushing through her mind. His hand was still clamped around her wrist, and as she tried to wriggle it out he silenced her with a look.

After a few moments, he released her, springing up to a sitting position again.

"Sorry 'bout dat." He apologized. "But it wouldn' be fun t' be taken out by a bazooka before we even get to the house." She rubbed her wrist, mollified.

"Ah'm fine, yah were just a little tactless." She muttered. He ignored her as the boat floated towards a dock jutting out of solid ground, gently bumping the old wood. He leapt deftly up onto it, holding out one half-gloved hand.

"Careful." He warned gruffly. "It's slippery." But his fingers wrapped warmly around hers, and he went as far as to wrap one arm around her waist and hoist her up onto the dock, making sure that she wouldn't fall.

"Thanks." She mumbled, quickly walking towards dry land, trying to pretend that his touch hadn't sent shivers down her spine. He shrugged.

"_C'est de rien_." He murmured casually, probably thinking she couldn't hear him. But she did, and she paused, locking her gaze on the soaking wet wooden planks.

"Remy?" She started uncertainly, feeling him walk up behind her, a warm presence at her back.

"_Oui?_" He answered simply, and she swallowed.

"Ah'm…ah'm sorry 'bout what ah said. I wasn't thinkin'." She felt him nod, but he made no move to touch her as he might have before. Her words must have stung him more than she thought.

"_Je sais_." He said curtly, and her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. It pained him, seeing that lip tremble, now bare of makeup and glistening pale red in the moonlight. He didn't want a salty tear to follow it. "S'okay." He said at last, his tone smooth and warm, just as it had been before. She breathed a sigh of relief, and the shaking stopped.

He walked past her, into the thick fog that had all too often played around the fringes of the coat she now wore. It trailed icy kisses along his bare arms, hugging each exposed finger with dampness.

There was a click in the dark, and his hands went straight to his cards, but before he could even draw one out, a warm, heavy force thudded into his side as Rogue sent him toppling down a grassy bank just before a single bullet could whiz past his ear. As they moved, he caught her, pulling her close to him and hoping that for each jolt that slammed into his back, she would be spared one.

They ended up at the bottom of the bank, as Remy's side slammed into a tree. The impact threw him backwards, sprawled over Rogue's semi-conscious body. He pushed himself up, hanging half over her, desperately brushing auburn and white strands of hair out of her face.

And then Rogue's emerald-green eyes snapped open, scanning the man in front of her, red-on black orbs glowing in the darkness, his legs intertwined with hers, his palm dangerously close to her mouth-

She cringed, curling into a ball as he jumped away, recognizing his mistake with a pang of guilt.

"Rogue, 'm sorry." She caught her breath, pushing herself off the ground and leaning against the tree trunk.

"This ain't gonna work." She muttered bitterly, feeling like punching the wood. "It should be simple. Yah care about meh, ah care about you. But the past _just won't die_."

"Rogue-" he pleaded, but she cut in.

"Yah can't even _kiss_ meh without meh rememberin' it. Yah can't be around without the hairs on the back of mah neck standing up. Maybe the part of meh that wants to run and hide is gettin' smaller, but it's always gonna be there." She stood up, brushing the dirt off the trench coat and shrugging it off. "Thanks for lettin' meh use this. But ah'm leavin' now. Go rescue your father."

"Y' don' have to do this." She cast her eyes to the ground.

"Ah… ah'd better go." She mumbled, slowly turning away and starting to walk, mist swirling around her feet.

"Please…" She ignored him.

"Go straight on from here. There aren't any more traps." She promised. His hand gripped her wrist.

"Don't leave me." She didn't dare look up at those red-on-black eyes, couldn't bear to be enchanted once more.

"Let me go, Gambit." She said gently, pulling her wrist out of his hold and disappearing into the darkness. He stood there for a long time, gazing after her, before lifting a bare finger to his eyes and roughly wiping away the moisture welling up there.

_Okay, bit cheesy, I know, but I didn't want to put TOO much fluff here. Thanks SO much for the reviews, I never in a million years imagined that any story I wrote would have so many. I may not update for a long time (I don't know If I'll get internet in Barbados at the hotel) or the sea and sun might make me lazy, so feel free to poke/review/spur me on. :)_

_Allyg1990_


	14. Coming Back

For a long time Remy LeBeau stood motionless, eyes probing the misty shadows for any sign of Rogue.

_Stop dat, Remy!_ An angry part of his mind finally commanded him. _Y've never been like dis over a _fille _before!_

_Rogue ain't jus' any fille_. Another, very stubborn part of him argued back. _I ain't gonna leave 'er. Her clothes are in shreds, she's prob'ly cold an' wet-_

_Y've still got y' pere to rescue._ That other part of him fell silent, overshadowed by an overwhelming urge to just spring his father and then get the hell out of the Assassins' lands. Rogue couldn't go far, and he wouldn't take long; he could catch up with her later.

A small sigh escaped his lips as he pulled on the trench coat that had been dropped to the ground. With Rogue, why did everything always have to be so damned _hard_? 

_Mebbe dat's why y' like her_. His subconscious mind muttered, but he roughly pushed the idea away. He didn't _like_ Rogue. He never liked any of the girls he got involved with. All the soppy garbage that passed his lips when a pretty _fille_ was around was just that- garbage.

So why had Rogue's abandonment made him cry?

He couldn't face that question, instead choosing to saunter briskly and stealthily across the dew-soaked grass, inhaling deeply and letting the earthy swamp air fill his nose, bringing back memories of his childhood on the streets, of happier days at the LeBeau mansion, of the manifestation of his mutant powers and the frequent meetings with Bella-

_No_. He didn't want to think about the last two. Some memories were not _meant_ to be remembered.

As he approached the solid wooden back door, long fingers darted into the pocket of his trench coat, drawing a few slender pieces of metal. He fitted them carefully into the lock, waiting for the musical noise that would tell him he'd succeeded, and bracing himself for the worst.

The lock clicked, and he breathed a sigh of relief; the alarms stayed silent. He stepped back, unable to help the satisfied smirk creeping across his lips as the door swung open. It was easy. _Too_ easy.

The long, winding corridors were not unfamiliar to him, but neither did he know them like the back of his hand. Searching the whole mansion would take time, so he slowed his breathing, letting his better than average senses do the work for him.

A creak on the first floor- probably some half-asleep resident padding to the bathroom. The crackle of a fire in the living room. The wind whispering through the eaves of the huge house, its sinister screeches sending shivers down his spine.

And there it was- a stuttered gasp, almost as if someone was struggling, trying to escape. He followed the noise, feet treading noiselessly along the ancient wooden floorboards until he ended up at an unlocked door, white paint chipping along the sides. His fingers shot out, gently swinging the door open, and his lips pressed into a firm line when he found what he was looking for.

"_Bonsoir, Jean Luc._" He muttered, the lyrical French accent failing to completely disguise the sarcasm dripping from every word. The thin, greasy haired man's head shot up as the door opened, brightening visibly when he saw who it was.

"Remy!" He smiled, his voice unsurprised. "Y' finally came."

"Don' hold yo' breat', Jean Luc." Remy almost spat, stalking over to the man's chair and pressing a finger to his firm bonds. "Dis don't mean a t'ing." Jean Luc smiled harder, but the smile was a mask now, not even an ounce of true happiness at seeing his son again filtering into it. 

"Sure it don't." He said evenly, flinching as the ropes securing him to the chair grew very faintly pink and then disintegrated around him with nothing more than a few sparks for evidence. "Dat's a new party trick." He commented, rubbing his now free arms with something reminiscent of awe behind his voice. Remy snorted, walking towards the door.

"Let's go." He muttered, stopping at the door when he heard his father's voice.

"Don' you realize what an opportunity dis is? We're inside de Assassin's base, let's take de chance t' do some real damage!" Remy snorted, leaning against the doorframe.

"You don't need me for dat." He said softly, trying ignore Jean Luc's light palm settling on his shoulder.

"Y're right. But I do need y' powers." Remy shrugged his shoulder, pushing the older man's hand away.

"Forget it." He snapped, his pace increasing as his feet flew across the floorboards, his father close behind.

An ominous click made his head snap up.

"Well, dis must be father-son day." Remy scowled, less than happy to see the assassins standing in front of him, holding what seemed to be very powerful weaponry. 

"Marius." He said curtly. "Julien." The latter was still pale and a little woozy from being drained by Rogue, but his features set into a nasty grimace.

"Y' gonna pay for what y' _petite amie_ did." He growled. Remy's eyes narrowed, but a distinct southern voice beat him to the punch line.

"Ah'm sorry, but that ain't gonna be possible." Rogue said smoothly, her fingers brushing the backs of both men's necks. The familiar blue flash crackled between predator and prey, and they dropped to the floor, thoroughly unconscious. Rogue's gaze flickered momentarily to Remy, managing to convey an apology and suspicion all at the same time before she glanced away.

"Let's get outta here!" She yelled, running full tilt down a corridor Remy hadn't noticed until now.

"She can do all o' dat wit' just a touch?" Jean Luc's voice was incredulous, with a sly undertone, and Remy glared at him.

"Forget it." He snarled, following the girl with the two-toned hair down the dark corridor.

They ended up facing a trio of armed guards blocking the exit, but an earth-shattering howl cut through the wood, ripping one wall clean off and hurling it into the swamp. Rogue grinned up at the weather witch, resisting the urge to wave.

"Meet _mah_ family." She said confidently, and a sickening pang shot through Remy's stomach. The X-Men had come to 'save' Rogue at last.

He sprinted towards the docks, nimble fingers making quick work of the large knot anchoring a small motor boat to a wooden pole. His arm motioned towards it with a flourish, and he couldn't resist looking up at Rogue and managing a cheeky smile.

"Yo' chariot, m' lady." His voice was more teasing than mocking, and she rolled her eyes dramatically, hopping in. He didn't miss the amused look that crossed her face as she easily yanked him in after her. 

"Nice try, swamp rat." She said sarcastically, stumbling a little as Jean Luc jumped into the boat after her, darting over to the steering wheel. Remy held back a chuckle, hands shooting out to grab her half-covered waist before she dropped into the water. She scowled at him, but he merely grinned back.

"Aw, is de River Rat telling me she actually _wanted_ to fall in?" He snickered. She gawped, folding her arms over her chest and finally closing her open mouth in what was almost a pout. The motor roared into life before she had a chance to reply, and Remy quickly pulled her down onto a seat before _both_ of them tumbled into the water. The boat jerked, sending her crashing into his side, but he hardly flinched, instead letting one arm wrap protectively around her shoulders.

"Why did y' come back?" He whispered hoarsely for her ears only. She was silent for a few minutes, no doubt trying to think of a good excuse.

"Ah… ah told you." She mumbled at last. "Ah pushed my mother off a cliff. Ah guess ah wanted to make up for it somehow." But her emerald eyes met his shyly, telling him that it wasn't just that. 

The boat swerved, and Remy braced himself, one hand grabbing onto the support rails that lined the edge of the boat. 

"_Mon dieu,_ Jean Luc!" Heyelled. "How long has it been since y' last drove a boat?" Jean Luc flashed a slightly yellowed cigarette-stained grin.

"Long enough." He yelled back over the engine. Remy groaned, and Rogue took the chance to give him a condescending pat on the head.

"There, there, Swamp Rat." She said, her voice saturated with false sympathy. "Ah'll stop yah from fallin' in." He smirked, not withdrawing his arm from around her shoulders.

"From where I'm sittin' it looks like y' got dat turned on its head." He retorted, ignoring the sharp glance Jean Luc shot back at him, no doubt surprised by his use of the first person.

They were interrupted by a loud boom, suddenly sent flying into the air. Before Rogue even touched the water, a shot of sulphur and a comparatively quiet bang whisked her away onto dry land, leaving Remy to sink down into the murky swamp water. He winced as a few scant droplets filtered past his lips, spitting them out and desperately swimming back to shore. 

He made it there after several strokes, coughing and spluttering, but a firm hand wrapped around his shirt and yanked him up, slamming him into a tree trunk.

"You were messin' with the wrong girl, _Gumbo_." Wolverine spat, claws slicing through the air with a _snickt_. 

"Logan, stop!" Rogue commanded, and the burly man grudgingly released his hold on the Cajun, who slid down the tree trunk and onto the ground.

"You've got some explainin' to do, Stripes." Rogue hung her head, picking out patterns in the swamp mud.

"Ah know. You'll get your answers." She mumbled quietly. Logan snorted, stalking over to his teammates. Rogue slowly shuffled towards Remy, aware that the wary eyes of all the X-Men present were fixed on her.

Remy glanced upward from where he was squeezing the water out of his trench coat, forgetting the material in an instant.

"So what now?" He asked softly, and she shrugged.

"Ah'm goin' back with the X-Men. Ah don't care what you do." He chuckled, the deep tenor sending a shiver down her spine.

"Sure y' don', _chere_." He murmured, instinctively snatching up her bare hand and trailing his lips over her bare knuckles. She closed her eyes for a brief second, letting herself sigh, but they snapped open as she realized that her 'brother' was emitting squawks of fury.

"Are y' done yet?" She hissed dryly. He grinned up at her, red irises bright in the darkness. 

"I'd kiss y'," He admitted, his gaze glancing to the Canadian with super hearing whose eyes were widening incredulously. "But I t'ink we've given Wolvie enough of a heart attack for one day." Rogue couldn't help but giggle at Logan's low growl, and suddenly seemed to hesitate. But then the moment passed.

"Well, it's lucky for me that ah don't give a damn about whether he shish kebabs you or not." She said silkily as he stood up, throwing her arms around his neck and forcefully pressing her lips to his. They ignored the despaired yelps of all three male X-Men, completely oblivious to the fact that Storm was holding them in place with a wind barrier.

But Rogue did hear the former Goddess' disgusted comment. "_Men_." Her lips curved into a smile against his and she broke away, her hands moving to his cheeks.

"Don't leave meh." She begged, changing her game plan. He grinned, shaking his head.

"I've got a few t'ings to sort out in New Orleans, but I promise I'll come visitin'." He assured her, pressing his lips lightly to her forehead. She nodded, burying her face in his chest as he pulled her close.

Ororo's cough broke their reverie, and Rogue spun around with one last quiet "Goodbye." But his wrist encircled hers, and she found something hard and rectangular pressing into her palm.

"Goodbye, Rogue." He said simply, turning and walking away with Jean Luc. Rogue stared after him, almost ignorant of the puff of smoke as Kurt's hand settled on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned, and she flipped the playing card in her hand right side up, seeing that it was the queen of hearts. A faint smile flickered over her lips.

"Ah think so." She whispered, turning around to face her other companions, Scott and Logan's glares gutting into her. She gulped, taking a deep breath of air and speaking with thinly veiled fear.

"So, where's the X-Jet?"

_Okay, sorry about the sap, I was in a sappy mood. Please accept my apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors. Now that school's out, I don't have a beta! Reviews are much appreciated!_

_allyg1990_


	15. The Truth Comes Out

A few minutes later Rogue sat in her usual seat on the X-Jet, Wolverine pacing around her with his claws out.

"Damn it, Stripes! What were you doing?" He yelled finally, trying and failing to conceal his frustration. Rogue leapt quickly to her feet to stand in front of him, fists clenching and eyes narrowing.

"Ah'm seventeen years old! Ah can do what ah want!" She said hotly, lips pressed in a firm line. He growled.

"That… that _Cajun_ kidnapped you!"

"We worked past that." She replied bluntly. He took a step back.

"You need to tell us everything." He muttered at last. "Half-pint told us 'bout your nightmares. And Charles told us about some memory you were tryin' to hide from him, with… _Gambit…_" He spat the word. "Touchin' your _bare _shoulder and _not passin' out_!" Rogue paled.

"Oh." She said weakly. "You know about that."

"Yeah." Logan snarled. "And like I said back at that swamp, you've got some explainin' to do."

Rogue was silent for a few long moments, eyes tracing the floor of the X-Jet as she thought.

"Ah don't want to go into details," she started, and before Logan could speak she interrupted him. "Ah'm not gonna talk about the first part. The Professor can get it from mah mind, and he can tell y'all. It's… too painful." She took a breath, watching Logan's wary expression and nervously eyeing the claws that still glinted in the dim light.

"Both of us… we got screwed over by Mesmero. Ah don't know why. But ah was actin' pretty funny 'round Remy, so he thought kidnappin' me and gettin' the full story wouldn't be a bad idea." She swallowed. "Mesmero wiped his mind, so he didn' know what he'd done."

So far, Scott and Kurt had been silent, letting Logan rant. But then her brother spoke up.

"Keep going." He encouraged as her gaze flitted towards him for a brief second, and she nodded.

"There's not much after that." She admitted. "Ah absorbed some goons in some rival family, and figured out that his father was bein' kept at their place. So we rescued him, and you guys came for me. That's about it."

Wolverine's voice was verging on dangerous.

"How can he touch you?" He asked calmly, trying to get as much information as he could. She sighed, closing her eyes.

"Ah don't really understand it." She admitted. "He said his powers make some sort of shield around him, and it cancels out my powers, or stops me from actually touchin' his skin, or somethin'. That's how ah knew he was tellin' the truth when he said he didn' remember- when he charges somethin', all the energy goes into the object and the shield disappears. So ah absorbed him while he was chargin' something, and found out."

"We're landing." Storm called out. Rogue breathed a sigh of relief.

"You'll get your answers." She promised again, sitting down and bracing herself as the plane dipped into the passageway leading to its hangar. Logan sighed.

"I'd better." He muttered darkly. Rogue turned away, pressing her cheek to the cold metal wall of the X-Jet. If only Remy were here, to help her face the painful confrontations ahead.

_But he isn't._ She reminded herself, pulling her knees to her chest as the X-Jet shuddered to a halt. And once again, she was alone.

* * *

_Logan?_ Wolverine's head snapped up from where it had started to loll while he waited for Rogue. He hadn't been asleep- just resting his eyes, his sensitive ears trying and failing to pick up what was being said in Professor Xavier's office. They must have been talking telepathically.

_Charles_. He replied wearily, relieved that something was finally happening.

_Rogue will be out in a few seconds. Please do not talk to her; she has been reliving some painful memories, and will be shaken. Ororo should arrive any moment to take her to the med wing. After she has left, you may enter my office. We have a lot to talk about._

Right on cue, Logan heard the quiet, purposeful footsteps of the weather witch creeping up the corridor. He didn't bother spinning around, but waited for her hand on his shoulder to talk.

"What do you think happened?" He felt Ororo shake her head.

"It is not for us to contemplate, Logan. The truth may be something we never imagined." The burly Canadian sighed.

"I… I really don't know what it could be." He admitted. "I'd know by now if she's doin' drugs or drinkin', and neither of those fit!" His fists clenched into tight balls of muscle, adamantium claws itching to be unsheathed. "When I find that little…" His voice dropped to a decibel only he could hear. Ororo probably wouldn't appreciate him swearing, especially not at such a sensitive time.

She merely raised her eyebrows.

"You should remember that I read lips." She told him. "It was useful on the streets in Cairo, but it makes not _hearing_ you swearing about Mesmero all the more unpleasant." Logan smiled wryly, and she smiled back, happy to have shaken him out somewhat from his former gloomy state. But then the door opened with a click, and his features set into a hard line again. How could they not, when he heard Rogue's thudding heartbeat, her constant trembles, when he saw the tears glistening in her emerald eyes? Her lips pressed together in a weak smile, and he tried to smile back, but failed miserably. Mesmero, and probably Gambit too, had hurt the girl who was closer to him than a daughter, and when he found them, there would be hell to pay.

Her gloved hand reached out impulsively, but slowly and hesitantly, to grip his calloused hand, and he never guessed how hard it was for her to do that.

"Ah'm… ah'm fine." She tried to assure him, but the lie was more than evident. He chose not to notice it, squeezing her hand back, but unable to speak. Storm took a hold of Rogue's shoulder, steering her gently down the hallway. Logan turned to the open door. It beckoned to him, and he wasted no time in walking briskly in and leaning on the wall opposite to Xavier's desk.

The telepath sighed.

"I really wish you would sit down, Logan." He admitted. "Having you standing when I am so happily seated makes me uncomfortable." Wolverine snorted.

"Get to the point, Charles." He growled. The other man sighed again.

"Very well, old friend." The Professor paused, taking a few seconds to think before he spoke again. "As you know, Mesmero was controlling both Gambit and Rogue at various stages of the last few months. At one stage in time, Rogue was very depressed by her lack of progress in controlling her powers." He bit his lip, an uncommon action for the old man. "If I had only assured her more often that her control had improved tremendously, this might have been avoided." He said softly, and then shook his head, carrying on.

"I am sad to say that she stole a bottle of wine from the mansion's stores and snuck out of the grounds, finding a park bench on which to drink it all. When Gambit approached her she was…less able to make good judgments than she normally is. She discovered that they could touch, and did not resist when he first kissed her." Logan's fists tightened further. He could almost sense where this was going.

"I must warn you that Gambit was not in control of his actions. I have seen the memories Rogue absorbed from him, and the evidence of mind control is overwhelming. He would have to be a telepath himself to alter his memories so much, and I assure you, he is not." Professor Xavier took a thin, ragged breath, turning away from Wolverine's piercing gaze. "He…_raped_ her." He said at last. "And I never noticed."

Wolverine stiffened. Ororo had been right. It _was _something they had never imagined. He couldn't move, angry trembles wracking his body. Controlled or not, he would _kill_ Gambit, if only for manipulating Rogue into loving him, after all he'd done!

"I would prefer it if you _didn't_ take that course of action." Xavier admitted. "I have been in her mind, old friend. Her love for him developed without outside guidance, including his. It is a rare and beautiful flower than blooms in the midst of hardship, and we would do well to nurture it." Logan looked up at him, incredulous.

"Cut the philosophical…. rubbish, Charles!" He amended. "He's a player! He's just using her!" Seeing the other man's stern gaze he caved, crossing his arms. "Fine. Maybe… I can't lie. I smelt the sap oozing off of him. But what kind of screwed up relationship is that going to be?"

"A good one." The Professor said firmly. "Who better to confront her fears with than him, the source of the problem?" Logan was silent for a long time, rage still bubbling up inside him, but rational thoughts taking over.

"Is she going to tell the others?" The telepath shook his head.

"We will. She has requested that they know, in order to better understand why she has been withdrawn lately. But they will be under strict orders not to mention it to her." Logan nodded, leaning against the wall and running a hand through his roughly hewn hair.

"Mesmero is dead meat." He informed his colleague, who drummed his fingers along the desk with a severe expression, and when he spoke his voice was ominous.

"Well said, my friend. I start searching for him tonight."

* * *

_Okay, bad ending, I know, but I had to get this over with. There's been a sudden dip in review numbers, where did you all goooo? Please know that I really appreciate all the reviews you guys give me, they really motivate me to write more. Thanks for reading!_

_Allyg1990_


	16. Deep Meaningful Conversations

A few hours later, Rogue sat anxiously in her room, knowing that the Professor was breaking the news to the other students

A few hours later, Rogue sat anxiously in her room, knowing that the Professor was breaking the news to the other students. A sudden pang grabbed a hold of her heart. What if she'd made the wrong decision? The others would never accept Remy now!

When Kitty Pryde slipped into Rogue's room, she found her best friend sitting on her bed with her knees to her chest, tears flowing freely down her face, rocking gently back and forth. Spending time alone had not been a good idea. With no distractions, the memories just came rushing back.

"Rogue?" The curious, anxious voice jerked her out of the sea of thoughts she was drowning in, and she lifted her swollen eyes from where they were pressed against the fabric of her jeans. They quickly found the phaser standing at the door, the expression on her face a mixture of nervousness, pity and guilt.

"Yeah?" She mumbled, a gloved hand roughly scraping the tears away. Kitty hesitated for a brief moment, finally creeping over to sit beside her friend.

"I'm always here if you want to talk." She whispered. "I… I should have noticed something. I'm supposed to be your friend. I can't believe you went through all that with _no-_one." Rogue inclined her head just a little bit, and the fact that Kitty hadn't said 'like' once during her entire speech didn't go amiss.

"Thanks, Kit. But it wasn't your fault." She murmured, not looking at the other girl. Kitty started to turn away, but then hesitantly reached out to hug her friend. The southerner's arm shot up as a shield, blocking her hands. "Ah'm sorry, Kitty." Rogue said calmly. "Ah don't really want to be touched right now."

"Oh." Kitty nervously started to finger-comb her brown ponytail. "Sorry." They sat in silence for a long moment, until Kitty suddenly blurted out, "How can you be on good terms with him, even after everything? The Professor said you parted as friends." Rogue bit her lip, turning away from Kitty's information-hungry gaze, knowing that if she didn't tell the truth it would leak out anyway. She ran a hand through her two-toned hair.

"Look, Kitty, ah didn't want to have to tell anyone this, but Kurt'll tell yah soon anyway. And ah know it's useless to tell yah tah keep your mouth shut-"

"I wouldn't tell anyone!" Kitty protested loudly, and Rogue arched an eyebrow.

"Sure yah wouldn't. Yah might not have wanted to, but ya'd let it slip to _someone_, and Bobby would overhear yah, and he'd tell Jubilee, who'd tell everyone…" She trailed off as Kitty winced, getting the picture. "So just try. Because…" She sighed in frustration, lacing her fingers together nervously. What was there to tell? How could she explain it? Her eyes flitted away from Kitty's, coming to rest on the water-stained playing card propped up against her bedside lamp. "We…kissed." She confessed at last, somewhat warily. How would Kitty take this?

The valley girl's eyes widened.

"No way!" She burst out, and then frowned. "But wasn't it totally awkward? I mean, even if I knew he was being-" She shuddered. "_mind controlled_ and everything, I'd still probably hate him for…" she paused, unsure of how to phrase it. "…_hurting _me."

Rogue glanced up, meeting Kitty's gaze.

"Ah couldn't believe it mahself." She admitted. "Ah should have been terrified. But we're both victims in this, and it's hard to be scared when it just feels so… _right._" She felt like clasping her hands over her mouth after she said it. _Had _it felt right? The memories were dimming, but she could still feel his lips trailing gently over hers, his fingers satisfied to stay wound in her hair. There had been a certain thrill in the way their bodies fitted together so perfectly, like two intricately linked puzzle pieces.

"Do you love him?" Kitty asked softly. Rogue was silent for a few moments, turning over the word in her mind. _Love_. What was it? She'd never really experienced that emotion before- Mystique had been less than caring, and though her friends at the institute were wonderful, there was always just that little bit of alienation that came from her inability to touch.

"Love's a strong word." She said at last. "Ah've only known him- reallyknown _him_, the charmin' Cajun thief, not the man who ruined mah life- for a few days. The attraction's there, and the trust, but love? Maybe not just yet." She paused for a moment, letting Kitty soak it all in, before casually adding, "He told me he'd come up here in a few days."

Kitty nearly shrieked. "Really?" Then she fell silent. "I don't know whether to be totally excited or ready to rip him limb from limb." She remarked wryly. "I mean, this is a really screwed up mess that I don't really know how to make sense of." Rogue sighed, her eyes sliding back to the worn playing card.

"You've got that right." Rogue assured her. Kitty's eyes narrowed.

"But Mesmero? Boy, do I want to rip _him_ limb from limb! I promise you Rogue, when I get my hands on that sick, slimy, good for nothing creep, I'm going to phase his guts out and run them up a flagpole." Rogue lay back on her bed, the image somewhat satisfying.

"Good idea." She said grimly. "But I have a feelin' that when Logan gets through with him, there ain't gonna be much intestine left for yah to phase out."

* * *

Rogue felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders after talking to Kitty, excusing herself to make her way downstairs and find a teapot and a couple of mint teabags. During the dark months when she was still coping with the rape, removing her gloves and wrapping her bare hands around a solitary mug of tea to embrace its warmth was sometimes the only way to chase away the painful memories for a few brief moments.

"Rogue?" Wolverine's voice interrupted her as she was pouring boiling water into the pot, startling her and making her jump. Hot water scalded her hands, and she winced.

"What, Logan?" She snapped, stalking over to the kitchen sink and flicking the cold tap on. Icy streams of water soothed her blistering skin as she ranted. "If yah're here to say how much yah want to rip Remy's throat out, don't waste your breath!" Wolverine took a step back, his lips pressing into a firm line as a calloused hand scratched and his stubble.

"That ain't why I want to talk to yah, Stripes." He countered carefully, his eyes glancing over to her red skin, "And I won't shred Gumbo, because he's your-" Logan could barely choke the word out- "boyfriend." Rogue's eyes widened in surprise. Was Remy really that? Sure, they'd admitted they cared for each other, but did that make them committed?

_Oh, heck. _A part of her snapped. _If he ain't mah boyfriend, what is he?_

_Something different- maybe even something more._ Another voice argued. _But Logan doesn't need to know that._

Her features softened. "Yeah. He is." Wolverine frowned.

"I'm just worried 'bout ya, Stripes. It ain't normal to start a relationship after all you two have been through, and I just want to know that ya ain't doin' it just 'cause he's the only person ya can touch." To his surprise, Rogue's lips curved in a ghost of a smile.

"Do you think ah'm that desperate, Logan?" She asked dryly, raising an eyebrow. "To start a relationship with someone who raped meh-" Logan flinched at the word, and she shook her head. "It happened. Ah ain't gonna hide from it anymore. Do you think ah'd do that, just because ah could touch him?" Logan's eyes flickered to the floor.

"No." He said slowly. "No. You aren't." Then he smiled, though it didn't quite reach his sad eyes. "I can't help but worry, Rogue. You're like-" his voice cracked. "like a daughter to me. I've lost so many people over the years, and I don't want to lose you to some backstabbin' _Cajun_." Her bare hand slid out from under the jet of water, and she left the tap running as she stretched it over, resting it comfortingly on his covered lower arm.

"Logan," she said softly, "You'll never lose meh. Yah understood meh from the beginnin', treated meh like a normal person and not an _untouchable_ like everyone else in the institute did." Water droplets soaked into the fabric of his sleeve, but he ignored the dampness, his dark eyes searching her green ones for truth. He nodded, finding it in those emerald orbs.

Her hand abruptly released its hold on him, and she snapped around, slightly embarrassed by her abnormal show of affection.

"Anything interesting happen while ah was gone?" She didn't see him nod grimly.

"You know that ancient bein' Mystique used yah to wake up?" Rogue pursed her lips.

"What about him?" She asked vaguely, reaching out to cut off the stream of water.

"We know some more. His name's Apocalypse; he's some ancient Egyptian pharaoh set on rulin' the world." Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Great. Just what ah need right now." She said sarcastically. Logan surprised her with a heavy hand weighing down on her shoulder.

"You're a survivor, Rogue. You'll get through this." He reassured her. "You've struggled through more than most of us and come out topside. Everything's going to work out." She turned, smiling up at him, both with her lips and her eyes.

"I hope you're right, Logan." She murmured, exhaling deeply. "Because from where I'm standin', the future doesn't look too good."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Louisiana bayou, Remy LeBeau leaned over a computer-skilled cousin, eyes scanning the computer screen in front of him.

"Stop." He commanded, and Emil Lapin's skilled fingers ceased brushing the keys and skidded to a halt. The screen showed a worn looking man, distinctive markings over his glaring face adding to the effect of the poster singing the praises of a mesmerizing circus act. Remy's lips curled up in a satisfied grin, and his eyes narrowed ominously.

"Bingo." He breathed, snatching the piece of paper feeding out of a nearby printer and stalking off with a salute to his cousin. "Bayville, here Remy comes."

_As you can probably tell, I'm mixing up the episode order with the whole apocalypse thing. It'll work out though, I promise! Sorry to any comics fans who actually know anything about Remy's family, I've only heard about them in fics and I wasn't sure if Lapin was the one who was the technological whiz. Any ideas of how to torture Mesmero will be handed to Remy and Logan. :) Hope you liked this chapter and the DMCs (Deep Meaningful Conversations), thanks so much for all the reviews!_

_Also i'd like to especially thank Muria and Wiccamage for their very helpful bits of constructive criticism. I've tried to take your advice in this chapter and of course, in further ones! :)_

_Allyg1990_


	17. Hope

A week later, Rogue lay silently on her bed, arms looped behind her head, staring up at her ceiling. Her eyes scanned the paint, an almost opaque white coat with a ghost of a dark pattern peeking through from a previous paint job. Her bottom lip quivered and she clamped her teeth down on it. Remy still hadn't come.

Had his goodbye really been just that- a goodbye, not a parting promise to return? She turned her face to the side, one ivory cheek pressing into her soft cotton-sheathed pillow. The rest of her body followed until she faced the wall. She'd given up peering out of her window, her breath catching in her throat at every tap on the glass. How stupid she'd been, to believe that a player like him could ever truly care for her.

She'd glimpsed a few more illicit memories when she absorbed him, of skin rubbing against skin and his lips hungrily pulling at those of countless beautiful girls he didn't care about, who would fade to a distant pleasurable memory in the morning. Why should she be anything different?

She closed her eyes, a solitary tear leaking out to dribble purposefully down her pale skin. Her arms snaked around her half-exposed stomach as she hugged herself, desperately wishing it was him holding her. That it was his strong, warm arms that wrapped around her, his thieving fingers that rested on her back, soothingly brushing her spine and lulling her into a restless half-asleep state of mine.

But suddenly the warmth her dream had lacked was there, warm breath brushing her ear.

"Did y' miss _moi_?" It was _his_ voice, that unmistakably sexy Cajun drawl that made her shiver and shudder at the same time, the former more prominent now. She froze- was he just a dream, an illusion, a figment of her imagination? She didn't want to move, to shatter the perfect paradise and find herself alone again.

The arms withdrew from where they had encircled her waist, and the warm presence faded as the voice once again interrupted the dark.

"I'm sorry, _chere_." There was a deeply apologetic lilt to his tone. "That was de wrong way t' make m'self known, I know y' don't like gettin' touched or surprised-"

She flipped over to face the voice, and a small, excited gasp escaped her lips as she came face to face with him, catching sight of the dim glow his beautiful devil's eyes emitted in the darkness.

"Remy!" A grin spread over his face, and one familiar half-gloved hand stretched out to brush her cheek, to assure her that he was real.

"_Oui_, _c'est moi_, Rogue." He breathed. "I missed y' so much."

She inched a little closer to him, the bare skin of her arms and legs rubbing against her unmade bed sheets. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, they picked up three grazes on one of his cheeks, and that the flesh around one red-on-black eye was puffy and red.

"Remy," she said, her voice outwardly calm and patient, though internally she was horrified. "What did yah go and get beat up for?" He shrugged, wincing as one of her soft fingers grazed his lacerated skin.

"S' not'in'." He insisted, a joking tinge entering his voice as he continued. "Y' should see de other guy." She frowned.

"It ain't nothin'." She whispered. "Who hurt you?" He was silent for a few moments before faintly muttering, "Sabretooth." Her eyes widened as comprehension dawned on her.

"Yah left Magneto." She realized. The corners of his mouth twitched as a strong finger tucked one stray white stripe behind her ear.

"I want t' be here, wit' y'." He murmured, locking his gaze with hers. She swallowed.

"You'd do that for meh?" She asked softly. He closed his eyes, as if internally laughing at her ignorance.

When he opened them again, his face moved towards hers, lips brushing her forehead.

"Y' de most important thing in m' life right now." He mumbled against her skin. "I'd never leave y'." Her heart stopped and she pulled away, eyes feverish with excitement.

"Really?" She asked hopefully, and this time he did laugh, letting out a soft velvet chuckle.

"Really." He said firmly, pulling her towards him. His warmth was no longer frightening- it was a delicious sensation against her skin, and she pressed her face against his chest, inhaling his familiarly spicy scent.

"Ah won't leave yah either." She promised, her words muffled by his skin against her lips. He nodded gruffly, his chin pressing into her scalp.

"_Merci_." He said simply, and in an overwhelming rush she understood that her promise meant as much to him as his did to her.

Her body molded into his as one hand comfortingly stroked her hair, the other fitting itself into the shallow arch where her waist met her hip. He paused for a moment, keeping the rest of his body perfectly still as he slowly and deliberately moved his lips down to press against the inside of her collarbone.

The light kiss sent a wracking shiver coiling down into the pit of her stomach, leaving her hungry for the feel of his lips on her skin. He swallowed as she pressed her full red lips to his jaw, fighting to keep instinct and desire from taking over- only a few months earlier all his relationships had been purely about sexual satisfaction, but with Rogue everything was different.

There was a value in slowing the pace, in thoroughly savoring each brush of her fingers, every kiss, ever half scared, half loving undertone in her emerald eyes. They took the time to cherish the gift of touch, lips and fingers sometimes cautiously, sometimes eagerly exploring every detail, every rise and fall of each others faces.

Finally, when it became too much to bear, Remy slowly touched his lips to Rogue's, shivers shooting through him as she responded. His fingers wove themselves into her hair, pleadingly drawing her closer as her hands cradled his face. On an impulse, he hesitantly, experimentally slid his tongue across her lower lip, half regretting the action before he'd finished it. Surprising the both of them, Rogue's lips parted in a desperate attempt to bring him closer to her.

When they broke apart, Rogue tucked her head under his chin like she had in Louisiana, and Remy's hands slid down to possessively cup her waist, keeping her pressed firmly against him.

"Stay with me." She pleaded, drifting steadily away. His lips grazed her hair in a reassuring gesture.

"I'd never leave y'." He repeated, and she relaxed against him, allowing him to surrender to sleep with her in his arms.

_This is a very experimental chapter- I wanted to try and add more detail in ways I never usually do. Please, PLEASE let me know if you think it's too much, and I'll lighten the tone for the next chapter. And I am so so SO sorry about the fluff, the fluff bug bit me. Thanks for reading, and if you feel so inclined, let your mouse drift over to that little grey button at the bottom left of your screen… hint, hint :)_

_Allyg1990_


	18. Found Out

A feral snarl ripped Rogue from the first restful sleep she'd had in a week, and she sat straight up in bed, her hair messy and showing clear signs that Remy's fingers had been run through it. A cold hand squeezed her heart as her eyes snapped open- Wolverine had caught them, and he was _not_ happy.

She watched, dumbstruck, as Logan's fingers closed around the spandex of Remy's shirt, hauling the half-asleep Cajun out of the mussed tangle of sheets and slamming him against a bare patch of wall, his knuckles bare inches away from Remy's nose. Granted, his claws weren't out, but his bare fist was still formidably dangerous. And Rogue kind of liked the nose.

"_You_." Wolverine's voice wasn't much more than a vicious snarl. "What are ya doin' in Stripes' bed?" At this Rogue let out a strangled yelp of mixed embarrassment and anger, desperately trying to wriggle out from under her smothering mass of duvet and ending up sprawled on the floor.

"Logan, nothin' happened!" She yelled up to him from her position on the ground.

"There are plenty o' things I don't want you doing under this roof that _don't_ involve sex." He growled, and a faint flush rose to Rogue's cheeks at the implications. Gambit merely smirked, but lucky for him, neither X-Man noticed.

"Ah'm seventeen." Rogue countered hotly, pushing herself up off of the carpet and stalking up to Logan, chin tilted upwards in defiance. "Ah can do what ah want, and unless ya want me movin' out with _him_-" she jabbed a thumb in Remy's direction, "the moment ah turn eighteen, you'd better drop him right now." She folded her arms in a very obvious show of tenacity, but the threat worked and Remy dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, Wolverine still looming over him.

"If you hurt her," he growled at the thief, "Touch one hair on her head without her permission, you're gonna wish you were never born." Remy just rewarded him with a wide grin.

"It ain't gonna happen, _monsieur._" He assured the instructor, glancing at Rogue for a short moment. "_Je l'aime._" The words were far too soft for Rogue too hear, but Wolverine clearly picked them up, snorting in disbelief and turning on his heel to walk out.

As soon as Logan stepped away, Rogue scrambled to Remy's side, crouching down beside him.

"Are ya okay?" She murmured, eyes scanning him from under lowered lashes to check for any injuries. He chuckled, pushing himself up to a sitting position.

"_Oui. _But 'm so glad dat y' care." He teased, a sharp cough cutting him off. Rogue bit her lip, preparing for the worst. Students of all ages stared at them with expressions ranging from bemused (Scott) to apoplectic (Kurt), as Rogue helped Remy to his feet.

"Remy," she said dryly. "Welcome to the institute."

Luckily she managed to sprint to the door before the protests to begin, struggling to close the door on the sea of teenagers. Remy merely stretched out against the opposite wall, watching Rogue yell at the students with a very amused smirk on his face and managing to further anger the student population of the institute with a few cheerful waves in their direction. At last the door clicked shut, a quick turn of the lock securing it with her bare hand as a menacing threat to a certain German who might like to teleport through.

"Sorry 'bout that." She mumbled as she turned around, her eyes downcast and an embarrassed flush rising to the apples of her cheeks. He shook his head in amusement.

"Y've got not'in' t' be sorry 'bout." He informed her, taking a few steps to close the gap between them and cup her face with one hand, tilting her chin upwards to meet his eyes. One strong thumb brushed her fragile jaw in reassurance as a smile curved on his lips. "Y' beautiful when y' angry."

It was true- the fire and passion that burnt in her emerald eyes made him want to grab a hold of her and kiss her soundly. But now, as her cheeks flamed a stunning tomato red and she peered up at him in a sudden fit of shyness, he knew that it would always be moments like this that made him eternally grateful to whatever God had brought them together.

She bit her lip, trying hard to suppress the warmth that boiled in the bottom of her stomach whenever he touched her. "Well," she murmured, looking away. "You'd better talk to the Professor." His grin widened- he knew that it was the depth of passion burning in his demonic eyes that made her squirm, just as he felt the contrasting shiver of pleasure that had the same source.

"_Oui_." He replied agreeably. "But I t'ink a kiss would be nice first, _non_?" The corners of her mouth twitched slightly and her uncovered fist slammed into his arm in a playful punch.

"Don't push your luck, swamp rat." She teased, grinning like a loon as he took a short step back, rubbing his arm. He rolled his eyes dramatically, staring straight at her.

"I don' need anymore luck." He breathed, drinking in every detail of her flawless features. "'m the luckiest man alive." The crimson streaks across her cheekbones returned, and this time he couldn't help himself- his hands shot out, snatching her cheeks and pulling her roughly towards him, his lips crushing onto hers.

A low howl rang out from outside the door, and Rogue broke away, letting loose a violent stream of curses.

"Get the hell away from that door, Kurt!" She yelled in warning to her little brother. An angry _bamf_ echoed through the hallway as the elf gave up on spying and retreated to his room to sulk. Remy, it seemed, was sulking too, his lips fixed in a pout only he could pull off when Rogue turned back to him.

"Y' brother breakin' up a kiss wit' y' just ain't right." He growled, and now it was Rogue who fought the urge to giggle- the childish streak that gave him his impishness was just so _cute_.

She brought her face tantalizingly close to his, locking her gaze with his as her cool hands cupped his warm cheeks.

"You'll get plenty of kisses, Swamp Rat." She informed him, grinning wickedly. "But if ya wait any longer to go see the Professor, he's gonna take a peek in your mind and see what's holdin' yah up. An' I don't think yah want that."

He gulped, though not at the threat. The air between them was charged, invisible sparks flying across the oh-so-short gap between them that her firm hands wouldn't let him close.

"He can't, _chere_. The kinetic shield stops telepaths from gettin' in." He insisted, wishing she would stop teasing him. She shrugged, pulling away and turning around.

"Well then he'll take a peek in mine, and he might be so surprised that he'll project mah thoughts to the whole of Bayville. An' ah know Logan wouldn't like that." Remy swallowed- he still remembered the Canadian's fist in front of his face, the very tips of his claws poking through, threatening to skewer his pretty little eyes.

"Remy can wait." He assured her, striding past. Her grin faded; she didn't think he'd give up so easily. But she wasn't to be disappointed- just as her shoulders sagged, he spun around, grabbing her shoulders and catching her lips in a passionate kiss.

He broke away after a few moments, not wanting to risk his life any longer, but she snarled, her fingers twining in his shirt and pulling him close to her. Even though he was the source of most of her problems, somehow his lips could chase away the memories for a few short moments, leaving her drowning in bliss.

"Stripes. Gumbo. Out. Now." This time it was Wolverine's voice that jarred them back to reality, and Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Logan! We're comin'!" She called, disappointment clouding over her as she slipped out of Remy's hold, pausing to catch one half-gloved hand.

"Remy?" She asked, her gaze thoughtful. "What did ya tell Logan to make him drop ya?

The effect her words had on him was instantaneous; his beautiful red-on-black eyes flickered away from hers, and suddenly he was very interested in tracing the multicolored patterns on Rogue's carpet.

"'S not'in'." He mumbled, and Rogue's eyes narrowed- she didn't believe him.

"It's not-"

_I haven't got all day, Rogue._ The Professor's telepathic voice was amused, but firm nonetheless. She gave an irritated sigh, rolling her eyes dramatically as she yanked his arm.

"Come on, _Gambit_." She mocked. "Your X-Man interview awaits." He shifted nervously but let her pull him along.

"Let's just hope Remy passes the test." He muttered under his breath, taking a deep breath and following her out the door.

* * *

A few minutes later, the Cajun was seated on a plush leather chair facing Professor Xavier's desk. The telepath leant forward stiffly, fingers locked together in front of him.

"Gambit-" Remy gave a firm shake of his head, pausing to shoot the old man a charming smile.

"_Nous serons amies, n'est pas? _If Remy's gonna be an X-Man, we will have to be on friendly terms, _non?_" He observed reasonably. The Professor answered with a curt nod, obviously unnerved by the fact that he couldn't read Remy's mind.

"Very well, Mr. LeBeau. I assume that your primary reason for wanting to become an X-Man concerns Rogue?" Remy shrugged, meeting the older man's eyes.

"_Oui_, she's de main reason." He agreed. "_Mais_ certain parts of Magsy's vision didn' agree wit' Remy, like de killin' innocent humans part. Remy may be a t'ief, but he ain't a murderer." A smile tugged on the edges of the Professor's lips.

"I am glad to hear that." He said, his tone remarkably sincere. "And you are certainly welcome at this institute. However, there are a few things we must discuss before you can move in." Remy leant back in his chair, his trademark smirk spreading over his lips.

"Let me guess; no stealin', no fightin' outside de danger room, and no creepin' off to de girls wing." He recited, ticking the reasons off on his fingers, and the Professor had to smile.

"Well, those _are_ important ground rules." He admitted. "However, I would like to ask you some questions." Remy nodded in acknowledgement.

"Go ahead." The Professor frowned, leaning further forward.

"How old are you exactly, Mr. LeBeau?" Remy's smirk faded, his hands moving to close around a pack of cards and start shuffling them to cover any anxiety that might leak through.

"Jus' turned twenty." He confessed. "Although Remy usually goes by twenty-four." The Professor's smile turned mocking.

"From what I discovered in Rogue's mind about your other _talent_, I'm sure people find that very believable." He remarked, his voice devoid of emotion. Remy's expression hardened; what else did the man know about him?

"_Oui_." He muttered under his breath. "Dey do." He looked up, his gaze bordering on icy. "What other questions did y' have?"

"Did you complete your education?" Remy shrugged.

"Remy has a high school _diploma_, if dat's what y' mean. But if y' want him to show y' a university degree, y'll have to give him a couple o' hours." The Professor raised an eyebrow.

"Rest assured that your somewhat unconventional methods of acquiring certificates of education will not be required." He commented, somewhat amused in spite of himself. "However, you will either be required to return to school in order to pursue a legal profession, or to join the staff here and do a small amount of teaching in addition to full-time X-Men duties." Remy's fairly tanned skin paled somewhat.

"T-teach?" He stuttered, but then his voice turned suspicious. "What kind of teachin' are we talkin' 'bout?" The Professor shrugged.

"Well, considering the areas you are skilled in, a small amount of French tutoring and a course or two focusing on less lawful activities would be sufficient." Remy's eyebrows shot up.

"Y' want me t' teach _les étudiants_ how t' steal?" He asked dubiously. The Professor shook his head.

"Not in that sense. But I feel a little knowledge in how to get in and out of tight spaces without the use of their powers would benefit the students." When Remy still looked unconvinced, the Professor sighed. "There are dark times ahead, Mr. LeBeau, and I fear that prototypes of machinery and medicine designed to suppress mutant powers could fall into the wrong hands, with devastating consequences." Remy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Y' developin' somet'in' dat could be used t' help mutants controlled their powers?" He asked, leaning forward. The Professor nodded.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't tell Rogue quite yet." The older man requested, though it was more of an apology. "I believe that being comfortable with touching you may reverse the damage done by-" His eyes flitted away from Remy's. "Recent events." He amended, and then shook his head sadly. "She was so close to achieving control. Perhaps if I had tried to reassure her of that fact, none of this would ever have happened."

When he looked up again, Remy was standing in front of his desk, almost out of thin air.

"People like y' love sayin' dat every cloud has a silver lining." He stated simply. "An' 'm pretty sure that de only one dis cloud has…" A wide grin came over his face as he slapped a poster down on the hardwood in front of him. "…is me gettin' t' give Mesmero a little visit, and makin' him pay."

* * *

_Next chapter: Mesmero gets a little visit… hehe…_

_One very, very important French translation: _

_Je l'aime: I love her_

_How cute._

_I want to thank each and every reviewer for the astonishing amount of reviews the last chapter got: 23 is actually a record for me. Before this story I'd never gotten more than ten per chapter. I'm getting spoilt. :) Keep reviewing and making my day!_

_allyg1990_


	19. Revenge I

_I'm so, SO sorry- I've been very, very busy at the moment and probably will continue to be busy for quite a while. Here's a little segment just to keep you guys going a bit longer, and again, I'm so sorry for the long wait. :(_

It was dark in the tent. The dim light radiating from a small candle barely illuminated the newspaper article the man was reading, a wide smile spreading across his features as he deciphered the words.

"My master has woken, the force fields have risen- all that remains now is to initiate the mutation! And then…" He broke off, the newspaper falling from his hands as his fingers wove together, his eyes glazing over as he remembered the prophecy. "And then Apocalypse will rise!"

He barely heard the three adamantium claws quietly ripping through the heavy canvas behind him, only noticing Wolverine's presence when the mutant's arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders, pinning his hands to his side.

"That ain't happenin' if I can help it, bub." Wolverine snarled, and Mesmero's eyes darted nervously from side to side in a frantic attempt to pinpoint the other two mutants he could tell was there; a strange presence in his mind prevented him from reaching out with his hypnotism.

"This is the end of the line for you, Mesmero." Jean Grey said firmly, a hand extended as telekinetic bonds sprang into existence, securing Mesmero so that Wolverine could step away.

But then Mesmero heard a voice he didn't expect- a voice he had hoped never to hear with the particular tone of vengeance behind it.

"De Professor told us t' bring y' to him alive." Gambit remarked, staff spinning casually around his hands as he stepped out of the shadows, although his expression was anything but casual. "But Remy don't see how dat prevents him from hurtin' y' a little first. T'ieves like _moi _believe in an eye for an eye, Mesmero." Abruptly his fingers closed; the metal snapped to a halt, a card appearing in his other hand and quickly beginning to flame with a familiar pink charge. "And y' gonna get every last punch y' deserve."


	20. Revenge II

Thump, thump, thump

_Thump, thump, thump._ Rogue's feet slapped the ground in a rhythmic pattern. _Three steps right, turn, three steps left, turn, three steps right…_

Remy had left on his first mission eight hours ago, and he still wasn't back.

"He…" _thump_ "said…" _thump_ "he…" _thump_ "would…" _thump_ "call!" She almost shrieked. It was a class five information retrieval mission, for heaven's sake! He should have been back two, no _three_ hours ago. What was taking so damned long?

In a burst of unprecedented anger, her arm swung back, rocketing her right fist forward to bite into the cement wall.

"_Merde!_" she yelled, out of habit now, clutching the injured appendage to her stomach. Maybe Remy was rubbing off on her, she thought dizzily. This wasn't good; now she'd have to go to the med wing.

Disgruntled, she stalked towards the door, her uninjured hand wrapping around the doorknob as she slid through, slamming the door shut. Beneath her feet, the entire population of the mansion cringed. Rogue in a bad mood was not their favorite monster to face.

_Thump, thump, thump._ Her pace increased, fingers begging for a precious drug to ease the pain. Thirty, twenty, ten feet until she reached those sacred metal doors.

And then she paused. Jean's voice was filtering through the wall. _Jean? Ah thought she was on the mission with…_ A terrifying burst of anguish clutched her heart. If Jean was back, where was Remy?

"I can't reach it." The redhead muttered bitterly. "You should try, Professor." A few less than quietly spoken French swearwords calmed her racing heart. Remy was safe.

A rustle of fabric; a squeal of metal.

"If y' want t' make it outta here wit' even a semblance of life, y'd better spill _now_." Remy hissed. The Professor's voice was calm.

"Put Mesmero down, Remy."

_Mesmero_.

A burning, twisting dragon reared up in the pit of her stomach. _Mesmero_. The man who'd started all of this. The man who'd imprisoned her in her own mind for endless days. Whose actions had left her numb and broken for months. Whose power had _raped _her.

Without a thought, word, not even a sound, she burst through the sliding doors, heart racing as her eyes caught sight of the man.

_Mesmero_.

Her fists went flying at him, flinging him out of Remy's softened grip as she sunk to her knees, sobbing and sobbing. How could he have done it? Why had he? What kind of person could order the physical and emotional destruction of a seventeen year old girl?

But then warm arms scooped her up and cradled her, frantic kisses fluttering over her forehead, cheeks, hair. "S'alright, Rogue. S'alright. Dat bastard ain't gonna hurt y' again." Leather-capped fingers wove themselves into his shirt, the familiar scent of bourbon and spices easing her silent, choking sobs, quieting her ragged breaths. Her eyes closed, letting him chase away her demons as he moved slowly out of the door.

"Those fingers are injured." Wolverine's voice interrupted, brusque as always. Wordless, Logan's calloused hands pried her broken one away from the comforting fabric, slipping off the glove and touching them to a bare patch of skin. She flinched, convulsing ever so slightly as the blue light flashed, but the skin pulled swiftly away from hers, long before she could leave a half-dead corpse on the ground.

"T'anks, _mon ami_." Remy's voice was hoarse.

"Any time." Logan's voice broke, and his footsteps faded into the distance. Rogue relaxed against Remy's iron hold.

"Remy?" She shifted unconsciously in his grip.

"You're safe now." Was his only reply. "M' never gonna let him hurt y' again."

Soft down touched her back as he laid her down on her familiar bed. But as he pulled away, she stubbornly pulled him down.

"Stay with me." She whispered, peering out through the crack between her eyelids. His red-on black orbs scanned her face, analyzing the situation. And then he sighed.

"I will, _chere_, always. But let me take of m' shoes." A watery giggle escaped her throat, adrenaline vanishing all of her barriers. Within seconds he was next to her, arms slipping cautiously around her waist. It was her turn to sigh.

"Ah'm fine. Hold meh, please." He obliged, crushing her to him, the crown of her head tucked under his chin. For a long time that was enough, just being there with him, his fingers absently stroking her hair. Then she wriggled away, pulling herself up to his eye level. And then her lips pressed onto his, cold palms pressing against his cheeks as she kissed him.

There was an urgency, a desperation in her kissing that Remy didn't like. It was a feeling he'd experienced many times before, albeit not with Rogue, and had no intention of this session turning out like those others.

He reached his breaking point when her fingers tugged at his waistband. In an instant, his hands wound around hers, bringing them safely up to his stomach.

"_Merde, _Rogue! What are y' doing?" He growled, perhaps with more anger than he'd hoped. She flinched.

"Ah want to be close to you." She mumbled, and that seemed to open the floodgates. "Seeing _him _again- ah… ah don't want the bad taste of last time to hang over us. Ah want a new, better experience to take it over, to prove that he can't hurt meh." Tears dribbled down her cheeks. "Don't you?"

He closed his eyes for a few long moments, wondering how to phrase it.

"Yes." He said finally. "But not like dis. Not in response to dat…dat…" He paused, sliding a hand under her cheek. "I never cared about anyone de way I care 'bout y', Rogue. Mebbe wit' ot'er _filles_, something with flaws was enough. But it ain't good enough for y', _chere_. Never good enough. Can y' see where 'm comin' from?"

She looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "Ah'm such a fool." She muttered, disgusted, turning away from him. But he pulled her close, his lips pressing against the back of her neck.

"_Non._" He whispered. "_Tu est parfait._" It was with his arms around her that she fell asleep, and for the moment, she was content.

_If you hadn't guessed: Tu est parfait You are perfect. Sorry for the slow update, and I'm even sorrier to say that another one probably won't come any time soon. Thanks for all the reviews, keep clicking!_

_Allyg1990_


	21. Making up

"_Charles…" _Wolverine's tone was dangerous, and the Professor sighed.

"_It's not pleasant, my friend." _Wolverine growled.

_"I don't care if it's pleasant. I want to know what that dirt bag wants to do to Rogue!"_

The girl in question stirred. The voices filtering through the wall had woken her up.

"_May we continue this in my office? He's too polite to interrupt, but Henry needs his office back."_

Rogue's nose wrinkled. The Med Bay was on the other side of the school- she shouldn't be able to hear a conversation from that far away.

"_Just spit it out, Chuck!" _Another sigh.

"_Very well, Logan."_

There was a long pause, and Rogue moved to sit up in bed. Remy was nowhere to be seen- but then again, he usually left long before Wolverine could find them together.

"_I'm waiting, Charles." _The voice struck a chord. Of course! She'd absorbed Wolverine's healing ability earlier- his enhanced senses had temporarily followed.

"_It's Apocalypse." _Rogue froze.

"_What?"_

_"He wants her… or rather, her powers. It is linked to his desire to control an Earth populated solely by mutants… The most powerful would become his servants... no doubt with a certain degree of 'persuasion'."_

A shudder rocked through her. To be trapped in her own mind for an eternity, using her powers for evil…

"_How does the rape tie in with that?" _Wolverine spoke calmly, though it was clear that he was struggling to control his anger.

"_Destiny's visions_." The Professor's voice was only a whisper. _"Mystique learnt of Apocalypse through them, approaching Mesmero to exchange her services for immunity from the future tyranny. But the visions continued, showing Rogue in two forms: discovering how to control her powers on her own, standing with the X-Men, able to temporarily use other people's powers, and able to touch. And the other…" _He trailed off, Rogue desperately reaching out to hear the rest.

"… _Rogue, standing with Apocalypse, with the full range of her powers unlocked. Ever able to control and recall the powers she absorbed. You see, in this vision, she had never learnt to control her powers on her own… Apocalypse mutated her DNA, giving her that subtle change."_

"_Mystique sold her own daughter to Mesmero?" _Wolverine choked.

"_No, no." _The professor assured him. _"Mesmero used his powers to force the information out of her. And then came the vital step: to devise a plan, so that Rogue would never seek to control her powers on her own- so that she would give up her thirst for touch."_

"_A scarring experience." _Wolverine whispered. She heard the Professor nod.

"_The most." _Wolverine shivered.

"_He was right though. She didn't let us near her… flinched whenever we touched her, even when she was all covered up. I guess her power became a shield… with it active, no-one could hurt her." _He let out a dry chuckle. _"No-one apart from Gumbo."_

There was silence for a long while. This new information spun wildly around Rogue's mind. Apocalypse wanted her. Mesmero used her. Mystique never meant to hurt her…

"_What now? Is she doomed, on the gainin' control side of things?"_ The professor laughed.

"_No, old friend. You see, there was one little factor Mesmero never thought of, a certain person that could reverse her fear of touch."_

"_Gambit." _Wolverine realized.A familiar little burst of warmth flared up. Yes, she had Remy.

But now that she'd made such a mess of things- did she?

He'd said she was perfect, that it didn't matter, but this was definitely an opening for awkwardness.

"_Goodnight, old friend. I think we both need a lie-in…"_

She sadly welcomed the ebb of Wolverine's powers. As enlightening as her eavesdropping had been, she didn't want to hear anymore. It hurt.

What time was it? She turned her head, trying to decipher the blinking red lights on the alarm clock. Five forty-five. Too late to go back to sleep. With a groan, she hauled herself out of bed, forgoing the familiar black spandex for a worn tracksuit. A light danger room session was just what she needed.

The monotony was comforting. _One, two,_ left punch, _three, four, _right kick, _five, six,_ back handspring. As long as she set a pattern she'd followed many times before, even her half-asleep body couldn't complain.

_Password accepted. System shutting down._

She whipped around, not really surprised to see him there, trench coated with his staff in one hand.

"Y' should be asleep." He stated, though it was a weak attempt at a reprimand.

"Ah couldn't go back to sleep. Not after overhearin' the Professor and Logan talkin' about the information they squeezed outta Mesmero…" Remy was silent.

"What did dey find out?" Rogue shrugged.

"Apocalypse wanted meh as a minion. Mesmero figured out from Destiny's visions that it'd have tah be a pretty scarrin' experience to stop me from gettin' control for long enough for Apocalypse tah mutate mah powers to his likin'." She laughed bitterly. "So here we stand."

Remy walked towards her.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly. She couldn't meet his eyes.

"Did ah mess it all up with what ah tried tah do?" He swore, and suddenly she was pinned a cold metal wall.

"Never." He told her fiercely, placing one gentle kiss against her lips. "I understand why y' did it. But y' gotta know why I said no."

"No flaws." She whispered. He ducked his head.

"_Oui,_ dat's a big part. But dere be ot'er reasons."

_Like what?_ She wanted to ask, to be reassured, but she couldn't- suddenly he was kissing her, slowly, all fire and passion, with all the time in the world to spare. She melted into him, lips moving with his, hands slipping around his neck.

But then she felt the creation of a gap a fraction of an inch wide between her tracksuit and her skin, and she froze.

_Skilled fingers slipped under her waistband, easily pulling the denim down to reveal pale ivory skin, untouched and flawless. _

In an instant, the fabric met her skin again, and she realized that it was only to illicit an action. It wouldn't have happened again.

"Y' not ready." He whispered against her lips. "Dat's why."

In a fit of fury she shoved him roughly away, only to crumple to her knees in the middle of the danger room. His hand found her shoulder, and she didn't flinch.

"Ah'm defective." She mumbled. She felt him shake his head.

"Some wounds are slow t' heal." He said wisely, sinking to the ground behind her. And then his lips molded into the side of her neck. "So f'r now, dis be enough, _n'est pas?"_ She nodded silently, leaning back into his hold.

"Thank you." She murmured, distracted by his lips against her hair.

"_De rien." _He chuckled, never stopping.

It was a long time before either of them spoke. Remy had taken to gently rubbing Rogue's shoulders, and she wasn't complaining.

"Remy?"

"Mm?" His fingers kept moving, tracing light circles over her tensed muscles. She took a moment to shiver.

"What's happenin' tah Mesmero?" He stiffened for a moment, but then resumed the soothing movements.

"The Professor left it up t' us. We can do everyt'in' but kill de _conner_." His disappointment radiated out through his words.

"X-Men don't kill." She mumbled, though she had debated on the subject many times before. If she went through with it, no-one would complain.

Remy snorted. "He deserves t' die fo' what he did t' y'."

"Us." She corrected. "He used yah just as much as he used meh." Remy shook his head.

"I been used often enough in m' life dat it don't hurt so much anymore." He explained, a bitter edge cutting into his tone. "By m' _pere_, by de t'ieves, by Magneto…" He paused to kiss her covered shoulder. "An' I don' remember anyt'in'. Y' relive it every night."

"You can tell?" She whispered. He hesitated.

"Y' toss and y' turn, and sometimes y' push me away." He said hoarsely. His fingers halted on her skin, and then fell away. She moved around to face him, taking his face in her hands. He didn't meet her eyes.

"Yah know ah would never do that, if ah knew." She said softly. His hand moved upwards to cover hers.

"I know." She leant slowly towards him, eyes closing expectantly…

"Rogue!" yelled a familiar voice, and then paused. "Oh. And Remy, too." Rogue rolled her eyes, turning to face the redhead.

"Yes, Jean?"

"I just had a good idea about what we can do with…" She looked to Remy weakly, asking for help. "Well, you know."

"What?" Rogue snapped. Jean flinched.

"Professor Xavier is flying to Egypt to try and reason with Apocalypse. But I'm fairly adept at mind-wiping. I talked with the others- we vote that I wipe his mind, and we can deposit him somewhere remote, like Antarctica."

Remy looked at Rogue. "Dat don't sound like a bad idea, _chere_." Her face was steely.

"As long as yah dump him where he ain't gonna get found anytime soon, ah don't give a damn." She said firmly. Jean nodded.

"You won't be coming?" Remy glared at the telepath, pulling Rogue close.

"Y' t'ink she wants t' see him again?" He demanded. She winced.

"No." And then, just as abruptly as she walked in, she left, leaving them alone again. Remy's fingers found their way back to Rogue's shoulders.

"_Chere_?" She shifted under his hands, a hand coming up to her eyes to wipe away a few stray tears.

"Yeah?" But he pulled her backwards, onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Shh, shh," he crooned, rocking her gently from side to side. She crumpled against him, like a small child seeking comfort, pressing her cheek to his neck and pulling her knees up to her chest. "Y' ain't gonna see him again. He can't hurt y'. I'm not gonna let him." The tears streamed down her cheeks in silent release. There had been a part of her, she realized, that had been ever tensed with fear, fear that it would happen again. But now Mesmero was gone, and she was safe.

Then, out of the blue, her stomach let out a low rumble, and Remy had to stifle a grin.

"Seems like someone's hungry." He said dryly, almost teasingly, in a very obvious attempt to lighten the mood. She rewarded him with a very faint smile as his fingers gently tucked tear-soaked strands of white hair behind her ears.

"Yeah." She mumbled again, letting him scoop her up in his arms and lift her into the air. He took two fast, deliberate steps towards the danger room door, and the paused, lightly pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Y' safe now, Rogue." He whispered, and then his feet settled into a steady rhythm against the floor, the danger room doors sliding slowly shut behind them.

_I apologize for certain elements of this chapter and the one before (I have a feeling you guys know what I'm talking about.), and I know it's a pathetic excuse, but I was half asleep when I wrote them and also when I uploaded. It's a whole new frontier from here, guys. :)_

_Allyg1990_


	22. The End

_Ten years later_

Organ music filled the church, billowing up from the pews to the rafters, only vaguely echoing in Rogue's ears. The fingers of one hand absently sought the gold wedding band on her other, nervously twisting it. Of course, she should be bursting with joy- who wouldn't be, on their son's christening day?

She had never really wanted to return to this church- it held too many bad memories. But it turned out that Remy's family were 'devout' Christians who insisted on a baptism, so what could she have done? It was close to the institute, close to the airport, and large enough for their numerous guests. In short, it was practical.

But practicality wouldn't erase the memories.

She had to close her eyes from the moment she left the car until she was safely inside the church- just across the road, there was a park, and in that park, there was a bench, where almost eleven years ago now, she had been-

Her child's cry brought her back to the present, and she offered the congregation a faint smile. Little Etienne, it seemed, didn't like the holy water the priest was dribbling on his head. The holy man looked up at her with a pained expression- sighing, she took her child, making sure that her black silk opera gloves separated his skin from hers, just in case. No-one thought he was in danger- he had survived the nine months inside her, most definitely due to his latent mutant ability, exactly the same as his father's. His sister hadn't been so lucky—the second reason why she felt uncomfortable in this church. Somewhere in the graveyard that she could _just_ see out of the window, there was a black marble tombstone with a name carved on it: _Anna-Marie LeBeau._ It didn't seem fitting that just meters away from where her first child lay buried, absorbed to death by her mother's power, her second was being baptized.

Remy's cough startled her, and she realized that she had been staring grimly down at her son, who was staring right back at her with a somber expression on his little face. She handed her son back to the priest, who started mumbling more words that she couldn't decipher.

Maybe the memory of her wedding day here was adding to the tension- or rather, the guilty confession she had made straight after the reception, when most couples would have been happily driving away into the sunset- it could have been one of the worst moments of her life. Her mind drifted.

_The wind whipped her hair back, and she shifted in the seat of the motorcycle, one hand hiking up the hem of her white dress. _

"_Remy?" She whispered, not sure he'd hear her over the roar of the engine. "Can we stop a minute?" The motorcycle ground to a halt._

"_What is it, _chere_?" He asked, half-certain that he knew why she sounded so scared. She inhaled deeply, sitting up as straight as she could- to distance herself from him, he realized. _

"_Did we just do the right thing? It's only been five years, Remy!" He closed his eyes, bitter disappointment sinking into his heart._

"_Don't y' love me?" He murmured. She stiffened. _

"_If you can think that--" Her voice wavered. He bowed his head._

"_I can't think of any other reason why y' would regret marryin' me." She leaned forward, hugging him tightly from behind._

"_I love yah so much. So, so much. And ah know yah love me just as much, maybe even more. But," her voice dropped to a whisper. "Ah'm still not better, Remy. It still comes back to me sometimes. Ah know that when yah hold meh at night—no, don't go makin' any protests. Ah know it happens. Ah know ah push yah away, like ah'm scared of yah. And I don't know if what ah've done is fair. If it's fair for yah to have a wife who's sometimes scared stiff."_

There it was. The horrible part. But the memory carried on.

_He was silent. Then he spoke two words: "Hang on."_

_Within a few minutes they were there, back in front of the church. Rogue instantly clamped her eyes shut, sensing what he was about to do. A turn of the key silenced the engine- she felt his arms lifting her, cradling her to him. She hadn't known she was shaking, but there she was, shivering like a maniac. He sat down, with her on his lap, holding her tightly. At last she opened her eyes: it was dark. They were sitting on that same park bench; his eyes glowed in the darkness like they had on that night. She opened her mouth to speak, but his lips against hers were silencing. She didn't respond- how could she?- but when he tried to shift her, lay her down on the wood, she froze. A thousand what-ifs floated around her head- what if it was all a lie- what if he would do it again-_

_Then surprisingly, he lay down next to her, cradling her in his arms. She relaxed as his familiar warm breath tickled her ear, his hands resting innocently on her stomach. _

"_There are lots 'o differences between then and now." He whispered. "For one, this time 'm not gonna hurt y'. I hope y' know _moi_ better than to think I could do that to anyone, let alone y'. For two, this time y' ain't drunk. And for a third point, y' wearing a dress, not jeans, like y' told me y' were last time we were on this bench together." He lightly kissed her neck as she managed a faint smile at his weak attempt at humor. "And I've never loved y' more in my entire life. _Bon nuit, chere_." With that he tightened his arms around her and prepared to sleep. _

"_Ah love ya." She whispered, snuggling closer towards him. He smiled against her hair. _

"Moi aussi, chère. Moi aussi._"_

Had she called that one of the worst moments of her life? Maybe it had been one of the better moments. It was still hard to remember the past, but most of the time, she didn't have to. Maybe the avoidance technique wasn't the best thing for her, but it would do for now. She glanced up at her husband. He smiled down at her, his hand moving up from his side to rest against the small of her back. This is a happy time, she realized, as the priest handed back her baptized son. Where it takes place is not going to affect me.

She cradled her son, scanning his hauntingly beautiful red-on-black eyes. _I will not let what is past affect my future._

Etienne gurgled in agreement.

_There's the end. A bit weird, I know, but I wanted to end it and just let it go where it wanted to go. Hope you like it. Drop me a review if you're feeling generous! :)_


	23. Please review HERE

_Just posting this chap again so you guys can actually review! :)_

_Ten years later_

Organ music filled the church, billowing up from the pews to the rafters, only vaguely echoing in Rogue's ears. The fingers of one hand absently sought the gold wedding band on her other, nervously twisting it. Of course, she should be bursting with joy- who wouldn't be, on their son's christening day?

She had never really wanted to return to this church- it held too many bad memories. But it turned out that Remy's family were 'devout' Christians who insisted on a baptism, so what could she have done? It was close to the institute, close to the airport, and large enough for their numerous guests. In short, it was practical.

But practicality wouldn't erase the memories.

She had to close her eyes from the moment she left the car until she was safely inside the church- just across the road, there was a park, and in that park, there was a bench, where almost eleven years ago now, she had been-

Her child's cry brought her back to the present, and she offered the congregation a faint smile. Little Etienne, it seemed, didn't like the holy water the priest was dribbling on his head. The holy man looked up at her with a pained expression- sighing, she took her child, making sure that her black silk opera gloves separated his skin from hers, just in case. No-one thought he was in danger- he had survived the nine months inside her, most definitely due to his latent mutant ability, exactly the same as his father's. His sister hadn't been so lucky—the second reason why she felt uncomfortable in this church. Somewhere in the graveyard that she could _just_ see out of the window, there was a black marble tombstone with a name carved on it: _Anna-Marie LeBeau._ It didn't seem fitting that just meters away from where her first child lay buried, absorbed to death by her mother's power, her second was being baptized.

Remy's cough startled her, and she realized that she had been staring grimly down at her son, who was staring right back at her with a somber expression on his little face. She handed her son back to the priest, who started mumbling more words that she couldn't decipher.

Maybe the memory of her wedding day here was adding to the tension- or rather, the guilty confession she had made straight after the reception, when most couples would have been happily driving away into the sunset- it could have been one of the worst moments of her life. Her mind drifted.

_The wind whipped her hair back, and she shifted in the seat of the motorcycle, one hand hiking up the hem of her white dress. _

"_Remy?" She whispered, not sure he'd hear her over the roar of the engine. "Can we stop a minute?" The motorcycle ground to a halt._

"_What is it, _chere_?" He asked, half-certain that he knew why she sounded so scared. She inhaled deeply, sitting up as straight as she could- to distance herself from him, he realized. _

"_Did we just do the right thing? It's only been five years, Remy!" He closed his eyes, bitter disappointment sinking into his heart._

"_Don't y' love me?" He murmured. She stiffened. _

"_If you can think that--" Her voice wavered. He bowed his head._

"_I can't think of any other reason why y' would regret marryin' me." She leaned forward, hugging him tightly from behind._

"_I love yah so much. So, so much. And ah know yah love me just as much, maybe even more. But," her voice dropped to a whisper. "Ah'm still not better, Remy. It still comes back to me sometimes. Ah know that when yah hold meh at night—no, don't go makin' any protests. Ah know it happens. Ah know ah push yah away, like ah'm scared of yah. And I don't know if what ah've done is fair. If it's fair for yah to have a wife who's sometimes scared stiff."_

There it was. The horrible part. But the memory carried on.

_He was silent. Then he spoke two words: "Hang on."_

_Within a few minutes they were there, back in front of the church. Rogue instantly clamped her eyes shut, sensing what he was about to do. A turn of the key silenced the engine- she felt his arms lifting her, cradling her to him. She hadn't known she was shaking, but there she was, shivering like a maniac. He sat down, with her on his lap, holding her tightly. At last she opened her eyes: it was dark. They were sitting on that same park bench; his eyes glowed in the darkness like they had on that night. She opened her mouth to speak, but his lips against hers were silencing. She didn't respond- how could she?- but when he tried to shift her, lay her down on the wood, she froze. A thousand what-ifs floated around her head- what if it was all a lie- what if he would do it again-_

_Then surprisingly, he lay down next to her, cradling her in his arms. She relaxed as his familiar warm breath tickled her ear, his hands resting innocently on her stomach. _

"_There are lots 'o differences between then and now." He whispered. "For one, this time 'm not gonna hurt y'. I hope y' know _moi_ better than to think I could do that to anyone, let alone y'. For two, this time y' ain't drunk. And for a third point, y' wearing a dress, not jeans, like y' told me y' were last time we were on this bench together." He lightly kissed her neck as she managed a faint smile at his weak attempt at humor. "And I've never loved y' more in my entire life. _Bon nuit, chere_." With that he tightened his arms around her and prepared to sleep. _

"_Ah love ya." She whispered, snuggling closer towards him. He smiled against her hair. _

"Moi aussi, chère. Moi aussi._"_

Had she called that one of the worst moments of her life? Maybe it had been one of the better moments. It was still hard to remember the past, but most of the time, she didn't have to. Maybe the avoidance technique wasn't the best thing for her, but it would do for now. She glanced up at her husband. He smiled down at her, his hand moving up from his side to rest against the small of her back. This is a happy time, she realized, as the priest handed back her baptized son. Where it takes place is not going to affect me.

She cradled her son, scanning his hauntingly beautiful red-on-black eyes. _I will not let what is past affect my future._

Etienne gurgled in agreement.

_There's the end. A bit weird, I know, but I wanted to end it and just let it go where it wanted to go. Hope you like it. Drop me a review if you're feeling generous! :)_


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